as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
bellicose hockey players who seem to spend more time fighting than playing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bellicose
The bellicose posture from a country considered Canada’s closest friend has unleashed a desire to stand up to the United States and a rallying-round-the-flag that has translated into a defiant patriotism.
—
Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Room for Disagreement There is a case that a less bellicose, less in-your-face flavour of DOGE could work better — and that such changes are easier when they’re not associated with a controversial figure.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
In 2014, war broke out in the Donbas where my family lived, and Putin’s messaging around Victory Day became much more bellicose, making my family reject the holiday ever since.
—Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
Then a sudden switch: a bellicose, spine-stiffening bass line, and the instantly infamous refrain.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Room for Disagreement There is a case that a less bellicose, less in-your-face flavour of DOGE could work better — and that such changes are easier when they’re not associated with a controversial figure.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
In 2014, war broke out in the Donbas where my family lived, and Putin’s messaging around Victory Day became much more bellicose, making my family reject the holiday ever since.
—Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
Then a sudden switch: a bellicose, spine-stiffening bass line, and the instantly infamous refrain.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellicose
Adjective
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Chantel’s aggressive, no-nonsense delivery clashed with Jackie’s passive-deflective tone, turning what could’ve been a breakthrough into yet another blow-up.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
22 July 2025
-
Sadly, Minx was soon diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.—
Staff Author,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
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
-
Everyone seemed white, and every man other than the fathers and the very old seemed belligerent.—
Michael Thomas,
New Yorker,
19 July 2025
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Another man told the belligerent passenger not to speak disrespectfully to women.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
His warlike actions in Iran, despite campaign promises to the contrary, blatantly bypassed the need to gain approval from the legislative branch of government.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
-
The bottom line: Bipartisanship is the most obvious casualty of Schumer's new warlike posture toward the GOP.—
Hans Nichols,
Axios,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bellicose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellicose. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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