combative
adjective
com·bat·ive
kəm-ˈba-tiv 
: marked by eagerness to fight or contend
combatively
adverb
combativeness
noun
Examples of combative in a Sentence
When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Recent Examples on the Web
Hurst testified before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who offered no indication of when the war might end during his combative testimony.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
So should Soufiane El-Faouzi, also 23, who plays deeper and is more combative, but is no less talented.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
That was a break from his usual gleefully combative political tack.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The occupants, later identified as Thomas Searcy, 29, of Boston, and Charles Phillips, 38, of Jamaica Plain, were combative, initially refusing to lower the vehicle’s windows.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
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Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
So should Soufiane El-Faouzi, also 23, who plays deeper and is more combative, but is no less talented.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
That was a break from his usual gleefully combative political tack.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The occupants, later identified as Thomas Searcy, 29, of Boston, and Charles Phillips, 38, of Jamaica Plain, were combative, initially refusing to lower the vehicle’s windows.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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