as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
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Recent Examples of combative
The night was otherwise fairly muted for SNL, which also brought back its former mainstay Alec Baldwin as Bret Baier to mock the Fox News host’s combative interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, who was played again by Maya Rudolph.
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Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and Fox News anchor Bret Baier sparred throughout a combative interview Wednesday 20 days before the election.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
In recent days, Harris has sat with Charlamagne tha God, whose radio show is especially popular among younger and Black audiences, and appeared in a combative 30-minute interview on Fox News, typically a safe haven for Republicans.
—L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024
During a frequently combative interview, John Micklethwait, the editor-in-chief of Bloomberg, asked Trump directly about a new book by journalist Bob Woodward that includes an unnamed aide saying the former president and Putin had spoken as many as seven times since Trump left office in 2021.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combative 
Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and Fox News anchor Bret Baier sparred throughout a combative interview Wednesday 20 days before the election.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
In recent days, Harris has sat with Charlamagne tha God, whose radio show is especially popular among younger and Black audiences, and appeared in a combative 30-minute interview on Fox News, typically a safe haven for Republicans.
—L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024
During a frequently combative interview, John Micklethwait, the editor-in-chief of Bloomberg, asked Trump directly about a new book by journalist Bob Woodward that includes an unnamed aide saying the former president and Putin had spoken as many as seven times since Trump left office in 2021.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
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The front fascia is more aggressive, the inlets much bigger, and the wheel arches more prominent and sharp.Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
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Should Harris have adopted a more aggressive media strategy?Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Israel denies allegations of genocide in its more than year-long offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas.Reuters, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
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Hamas kidnapped more than 200 Israelis and killed 1,200 others last Oct. 7, when the militant group's fighters overran the border with Gaza in a surprise attack.Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The recall’s organizers, who have employed an especially hostile rhetoric toward the mayor, saw the lopsided early margin as confirmation of a likely victory.Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
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In the novel, an astrophysicist, as an act of revenge for her father’s murder by Red Guards, chooses to put Earth at risk by sending out a provocative interstellar message to hostile aliens.H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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On the backdrop of a contentious presidential election and with some of the Bay Area’s local and congressional races drawing national attention, the West Valley’s local races were quiet by comparison.Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Voting has concluded in one of the most contentious U.S. presidential elections in recent history.Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Even in the face of assaultive public opinion, there is nothing to add.Paolo Armelli, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2024
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How many times, in the throes of his illness, had he been taken into custody by police, accused of lewd or assaultive behavior, and locked in psych wards, only to be let out within days?Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combative. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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