as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of combative
Musk’s sweeping cuts and combative style have been criticized as reckless and lacking in empathy.
—
Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025
Graphic via The Athletic Worth Your Time Great business-adjacent reads for your downtime or commute:
What is the story with Knicks owner James Dolan and his constantly combative posture with the league?
—Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Things can be heightened about combative and wily AGIs by including the aspect of national borders and global geopolitics into the mix.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Small, combative players who can win second balls will do the job.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025
Graphic via The Athletic Worth Your Time Great business-adjacent reads for your downtime or commute:
What is the story with Knicks owner James Dolan and his constantly combative posture with the league?
—Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Things can be heightened about combative and wily AGIs by including the aspect of national borders and global geopolitics into the mix.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Small, combative players who can win second balls will do the job.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
-
The prison has become a symbol of Bukele's aggressive policies that have targeted gang violence.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Young has struggled against the Heat’s aggressive defense in recent years.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
-
And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
John Shine described to me a research trip to the hostile mountain environs of Tasmania, where snakes stay under cover except for the 20 or 30 warm days each year.—
Stephen S. Hall,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Union members shared other experiences and stories, including those of an increasingly hostile work environment for some.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Policies around taxes, the federal budget and migration were widely seen as contentious points among the parties.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
-
However, all three of these studies come from a closely affiliated group of researchers, are based on the same dataset tracking maternal health, and use contentious measures of both IQ and fluoride exposure.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The record indicates that the instant offense has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behavior or conscious selection of victim's vulnerability indicating a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others, such that the offender poses a continuing threat to public safety.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The effect is assaultive but clever, jolting listeners’ reflexes and then toying with their attention.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combative. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share