as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
the player became quite belligerent and was thrown out of the game
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in combatant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerent
Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025
On April 8, Osment was allegedly acting belligerent at a California ski lodge and was blocking people from getting on the ski lift, according to bodycam footage and other videos obtained by TMZ.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
He’s paired, in dance and as a love interest, with a belligerent Parisian principal, Gabin Roux (Ivan du Pontavice).
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
This term around, Trump has spoken in belligerent tones.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Adjective
Despite its codification in treaty law, charging a belligerent with starvation crimes was considered too politically sensitive, too entangled with the military strategies of powerful states.
—Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025
On April 8, Osment was allegedly acting belligerent at a California ski lodge and was blocking people from getting on the ski lift, according to bodycam footage and other videos obtained by TMZ.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
He’s paired, in dance and as a love interest, with a belligerent Parisian principal, Gabin Roux (Ivan du Pontavice).
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
This term around, Trump has spoken in belligerent tones.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
-
Nonprofits focused on such issues could be seen as antagonistic to the company’s aggressive commercialization efforts.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
-
The 82-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, with 1 in 8 being diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
-
His platoon was pinned down in the jungle, under constant combatant fire, When the enemy threw a live grenade.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2025
-
Israel blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the militant group operates from civilian areas.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Wars claim the lives of innocent children as well as warriors.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2025
-
The story follows seven warriors on a top-secret mission: to transport 99 coffins as a strategic diversion designed to mislead hostile forces.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET and Pacers fans are sure to bring the energy and create a hostile atmosphere for New York.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
-
Some of countries in the continent that are rich in uranium, such as Niger and Gabon, may be delicate or difficult to deal with in the near term as both underwent military coups recently, with Niger turning hostile toward the French and more toward the Russians.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Named by Variety as one of 10 Spanish directors to watch in 2022, Azorín delivers a dual-timeline narrative set in Roman baths, where a 21st-century boy shares a hot bath with a 1st-century Roman soldier, both reflecting on their own frailty.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
19 May 2025
-
Pantoliano’s character, Angelo, was a soldier in the infantry, stationed in Hawaii in 1941.—
Carrie Wittmer,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
The troopers returned fire, wounding the suspect and giving the female the distraction needed to jump from the vehicle, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
16 May 2025
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In October, New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a sweeping police crackdown with more than 200 police and state troopers descending on the area.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Their comments point to the difficulties Russia would face after any peace deal in integrating servicemen back into civilian life, and in moving the wartime economy back onto a civilian footing.—
Anatoly Kurmanaev,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
-
During his State of the Union address earlier this year, Trump singled out Pakistan for praise for their role in capturing the ISIS terrorist who masterminded the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. servicemen at Afghanistan’s Kabul Airport in 2021.—
Christopher Shays,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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