as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
the player became quite belligerent and was thrown out of the game
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in combatant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerent
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Successful long ago, Shelley is no longer a selling Machine of any sort, and mostly just begs for a break in comically desperate appeals that ping-pong from belligerent to pathetic.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
For Nick Torres, that perfect nemesis is Special Agent Dale Sawyer, and this week on NCIS, our lucky lad gets to be the boss of his belligerent bro.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2025
Donald Trump is belligerent toward Canada and tender toward Putin’s Russia.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Adjective
The American military presence in Asia is seen by allies as a critical counterbalance in a fractious region where China has been rapidly expanding its military might and a belligerent North Korea has been empowered by closer ties with Russia.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Successful long ago, Shelley is no longer a selling Machine of any sort, and mostly just begs for a break in comically desperate appeals that ping-pong from belligerent to pathetic.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
For Nick Torres, that perfect nemesis is Special Agent Dale Sawyer, and this week on NCIS, our lucky lad gets to be the boss of his belligerent bro.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2025
Donald Trump is belligerent toward Canada and tender toward Putin’s Russia.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
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Young has struggled against the Heat’s aggressive defense in recent years.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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The prison has become a symbol of Bukele's aggressive policies that have targeted gang violence.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Hamas has revised its casualty figures from the Gaza war, removing hundreds of names from its official list of war fatalities, and revealing that 72% of those killed were men aged 13 to 55 – a demographic largely composed of combatants.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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History is replete with examples of tariff wars that destroy international trade and punish—and impoverish—all combatants.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
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The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Users can personalize the prompt by describing features, aesthetic or desired theme—such as space explorer, fantasy warrior or tech ninja.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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The first female, named Khaleesi after the warrior queen from Martin’s best-selling books and hit TV adaptation, was born more recently and is about three months old.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Video shared on social media shows one soldier donning an Arizona Wildcat flag descending rapidly before rolling over upon impact.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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Canned goods and other non-perishables had to be sent to our soldiers who were fighting for our freedom.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His family was safely evacuated from the residence by state troopers, and no one was injured, the governor added.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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Shapiro said his family and guests were awakened by state troopers banging on their doors at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And having those servicemen available to help was invaluable.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2025
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That April, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law declaring that any Russian serviceman who provided Ukraine with one of Russia’s more advanced military planes would receive a million dollars.—
Joshua Yaffa,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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