as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
the dominant male wolf was able to withstand the belligerence of younger challengers
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Recent Examples of belligerence
White columnists wrote him open letters, processing their own feelings about race, alternating between flattery and belligerence.
—
Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
It is founded on reasoned judgment rather than emotional belligerence.
—Michael S. Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
Beijing, meanwhile, has averted its gaze from Moscow’s belligerence in Africa while fostering new dependencies and saddling more countries with unsustainable debt.
—Antony J. Blinken, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
This segment of What’s Ahead examines the ominous implications of China’s increasing belligerence.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belligerence 
Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
It is founded on reasoned judgment rather than emotional belligerence.
—Michael S. Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
Beijing, meanwhile, has averted its gaze from Moscow’s belligerence in Africa while fostering new dependencies and saddling more countries with unsustainable debt.
—Antony J. Blinken, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
This segment of What’s Ahead examines the ominous implications of China’s increasing belligerence.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belligerence
Thesaurus Entries Near belligerence
Cite this Entry
“Belligerence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerence. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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