COMBATIVENESS Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

combativeness

noun

Definition of combativeness

as in aggression

an inclination to fight or quarrel the boxer was known more for his unbridled combativeness than for his technical skill

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of combativeness Transport second Warning signs of heat stroke include dizziness, headache, nausea, severe fatigue, and can include confusion, combativeness or potential loss of consciousness, Casa says. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 29 July 2026 But there is a far more important influence Dobeš can have on this series than his combativeness, and that is his puckhandling. — Sean Gentille, New York Times, 23 May 2026 As a student at Dartmouth College, Dhillon doubled down on her political beliefs with a combativeness that foreshadowed her later commitment to MAGA. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026 But Bondi decided the moment called for combativeness, not contrition. — Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026 Bessent’s combativeness is, in part, a sign of the times, said David Lublin, chair of the Department of Government at American University’s School of Public Affairs. — Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026 For Republicans, the primary has become a struggle over how to keep Texas red, with their party weighing steadiness, combativeness and reinvention in the post-Trump era. — Gromer Jeffers Jr. political, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026 For those reading the tea leaves about the level of combativeness that next year’s talks could bring, some members of the strike-era leadership are back in 2026. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025 Republican politicians have canceled meetings or opted to hold them virtually in response to criticism and combativeness from voters, and some Democratic town halls have also been targeted. — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for combativeness

Noun

On the contrary, airpower remains the most potent piece of the United States’ conventional forces, as well as its main source of both deterrent capacity and warfighting advantage against conventional aggression by hostile states.

— Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Publicly sharing Hasan’s death is unlikely to deter future acts of monstrous aggression, as Hegseth claims.

— Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggression

Noun

When a quarrel over an inheritance revives old hostilities, their relationship comes under pressure from greed and treachery in a conflict not of their making.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Grynkewich's remarks had followed a tense weekend between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow launching fresh strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite diplomatic efforts to reduce hostilities.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of hostility

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combative

combativeness

combats

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“Combativeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combativeness. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of combativeness

noun

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