as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combative
Michigan has been especially rocked by his steep trade tariffs and combative attitude toward Canada.
—
Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 29 Apr. 2025
The escalation signaled the start of a new, more combative phase in President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the nation’s colleges.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Despite this, the sport has a cultural history, especially among those who appreciate the aesthetic and combative qualities of the fish.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Its combative response is a blunt sign of the administration’s intention to double down and defy the courts.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 29 Apr. 2025
The escalation signaled the start of a new, more combative phase in President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the nation’s colleges.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Despite this, the sport has a cultural history, especially among those who appreciate the aesthetic and combative qualities of the fish.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Its combative response is a blunt sign of the administration’s intention to double down and defy the courts.
—Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
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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
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Nonprofits focused on such issues could be seen as antagonistic to the company’s aggressive commercialization efforts.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
23 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
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Israel blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the militant group operates from civilian areas.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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This is a flawed sin; trying to make something happen in a contentious area with a bunch of people who had their own history.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
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On contentious problems like TikTok’s status in America, Trump has already bucked political orthodoxy, delaying a ban repeatedly to convince China to allow its sale.—
J. Tedford Tyler,
Time,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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 30 May. 2025.
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