How to Use combative in a Sentence

combative

adjective

• When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.
• The man got out of his car and was combative towards officers.
  — cleveland, 14 May 2021
• Reagan was known to be combative with the media, to reject their premises, and to command news conferences and debates.
  — Kyle Smith, National Review, 12 Apr. 2021
• The national government has taken a combative stance against the states, accusing them of poor planning.
  — Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
• Stiger agreed with Nelson that there are circumstances when a person who had once resisted arrest and then complied with officers could become combative again.
  — Erin Donaghue, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2021
• This didn’t help his notoriously combative relationship with Mr. Loaf, who once threw a baby grand piano at him.
  — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2021
• The process was more contentious, combative, and duplicitous than was previously understood.
  — Ben Bradlee, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2021
• Law enforcement officials said the protesters were violent and combative.
  — Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2021
• While all four candidates offer similar views on the issues, Chase and Snyder's rhetorical styles are at times more appealing to those who favor a more combative tone.
  — Matthew Barakat, ajc, 5 May 2021
• Hamby’s time on the board got off to a combative start.
  — Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 20 Nov. 2023
• These moves have left a lot of union members in a combative mood.
  — Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Feb. 2023
• The last time Pat saw Ron, there was none of the fire and brimstone of his more combative moments.
  — Max Olesker, Longreads, 13 July 2023
• The tenor in the union hall, however, was far more combative.
  — Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
• Which age groups are most amenable to in-person work, and which are most combative?
  — Jane Thier, Fortune, 16 May 2024
• Both sides will need to ask questions that help rein in the combative and focus on the result.
  — Simon S. Mass, Forbes, 24 May 2021
• This is less combative but requires you to be always on the run.
  — Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2021
• Hayes got combative with cops and a fight broke out ... with the ex-Texas Longhorns star getting tased in the middle of the scuffle.
  — Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 29 July 2021
• Yet his remarks, while combative, did not appear to close the door on a deal.
  — Ellen Knickmeyer, arkansasonline.com, 25 July 2024
• By the end of the season, he was being booed by the Lakers fans and became combative with the media.
  — Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2022
• Perhaps some of these younger toughs will yet have time to find less combative ways to rise in status.
  — Susan Pinker, WSJ, 5 May 2022
• And its combative tone seemed intended to strike a nerve.
  — Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023
• Fain, elected president of the union this spring, has been the UAW’s most combative leader in years.
  — Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
• At times, Vance and his staff have been more directly combative with the media.
  — Freddy Brewster, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2022
• For Chiuri, these three women are a real-life version of Valkyries, the combative Norse deities who served the god Odin.
  — Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023
• While the flight crew was retrieving Narcan from the back of the plane, Burch became combative, the affidavit said.
  — Anchorage Daily News, 27 June 2023
• Porsche boss Oliver Blume is the new boss, with a less combative management style.
  — David Meyer, Fortune, 25 July 2022
• Peter had declined rapidly in the last few months and had been manic and combative.
  — Lori Riley, courant.com, 27 Dec. 2021
• But, given how rude and combative Whitney has been — and how rude Lisa has been in return — that’s hard to believe.
  — Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Oct. 2021
• Biden tried to make up for that ground against Ryan, appearing engaged, energetic and combative.
  — Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2024
• Yes, some of the hard-working, combative traits—reflecting Simeone’s vision—remain.
  — Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Last Updated: 10 Dec 2024