as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
clearly a writer with a chip on his shoulder, he's very agonistic even when stating indisputable facts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonistic
The kitchen remains bloody and agonistic, demanding the preparation of yet another family meal.
—
E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023
The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
The Red Queen is about eternal recurrence of the agonistic dance between organisms.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2011
Finally, serial attacks may signal the agonistic potential of a family to other flock members.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families, Anser anser, against the same opponent.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
But the drive, the bile, the essential, agonistic spirit that powers the greatest rock music and serves as the source of its creativity will almost certainly be lacking.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 4 Sep. 2021
This agonistic version of the fact-value distinction leaves us with an impoverished ideal of social interaction.
—Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023
The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
The Red Queen is about eternal recurrence of the agonistic dance between organisms.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2011
Finally, serial attacks may signal the agonistic potential of a family to other flock members.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families, Anser anser, against the same opponent.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
But the drive, the bile, the essential, agonistic spirit that powers the greatest rock music and serves as the source of its creativity will almost certainly be lacking.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 4 Sep. 2021
This agonistic version of the fact-value distinction leaves us with an impoverished ideal of social interaction.
—Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonistic
Adjective
-
As the relationship between Putin and Trump has soured, a broad coalition of U.S. lawmakers has lined up ready to place new aggressive sanctions on Russia.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
-
Sadly, Minx was soon diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.—
Staff Author,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Buhari vowed to do more to fight militant groups and fix the economy as the demonstrations turned deadly and continued to simmer for the remainder of his presidency.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
-
Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.—
Ali Sawafta,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
Five days later, on July 8, an attorney for the city manager submitted a letter of potential claim against the city citing defamation, harassment and creation of a hostile work environment.—
Anita Edmondson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 July 2025
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In early October 2022, the ruling said, McCarty filed a hostile work environment complaint with the police department.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Earlier this year, Trump paused weapons shipments to Ukraine after a contentious meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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With billions allocated for new hiring, the scale of ICE's growth could reshape immigration enforcement for years to come and will likely remain at the center of a contentious national debate.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonistic. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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