combative
adjective
com·bat·ive
kəm-ˈba-tiv 
: marked by eagerness to fight or contend
combatively
adverb
combativeness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of combative in a Sentence
When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Recent Examples on the Web
With more than half of seniors on private Medicare Advantage plans now, this combative trend could create increasing disruption to their coverage.
—
Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
In contrast to Biden's combative tone, Harris made a plea to all Americans, including Republicans, at a rally attended by 75,000 people at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Yes, some of the hard-working, combative traits—reflecting Simeone’s vision—remain.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Harris in a combative Fox News interview was pressed on immigration and what her differences are from Biden
Trump repeated false claims about Haitian migrants and was asked about immigration policy during Univision town hall with undecided Latino voters.
—Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combative 
Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
In contrast to Biden's combative tone, Harris made a plea to all Americans, including Republicans, at a rally attended by 75,000 people at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Yes, some of the hard-working, combative traits—reflecting Simeone’s vision—remain.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Harris in a combative Fox News interview was pressed on immigration and what her differences are from Biden
Trump repeated false claims about Haitian migrants and was asked about immigration policy during Univision town hall with undecided Latino voters.
—Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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