as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a movie reviewer who is spirited, even pugnacious, when defending her opinions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 pugnacious
Williamson’s pugnacious lyrics are grounded in manual labor and local indignities, but Planet X’s malaise transcends any neighborhood or job site, toeing the line between angst and grievance.
—
Pete Tosiello, Pitchfork, 27 Jan. 2026
Delightfully pugnacious contempt for plot and human interest.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Then Martinez, famously one of the commission’s most pugnacious members, decided to share a response.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pugnacious
Pete Tosiello, Pitchfork, 27 Jan. 2026
Delightfully pugnacious contempt for plot and human interest.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Then Martinez, famously one of the commission’s most pugnacious members, decided to share a response.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pugnacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugnacious
Adjective
-
Gregory Bovino, the controversial head of aggressive enforcement activities in Chicago and Minneapolis, resigned from the agency.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That approach, paired with more outreach to Black residents, may help increase the city’s affordable housing stock and close the gap in Black homeownership, though some city council members have urged a more aggressive push on affordable housing.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Israel has also enjoyed a number of military successes against Iran and its Lebanese proxy, the Hezbollah militant group.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
However, some members of the militant group refused to engage in the peace process from the start.—
Annabella González,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These Knicks still need to close the Hawks out in hostile territory in Game 6.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Extreme recovery conditions The Asse II mine presents a uniquely hostile environment.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Just getting to this point, with passage out of the House, has been contentious, says Andrew Schmidt, director of governmental affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The contentious exchange did not result in a handshake between the Israeli and Palestinian representatives, nor a photo featuring the two, but instead a plea from Infantino for the two nations to take part in an Under-15 tournament organized by FIFA in the future.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pugnacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugnacious. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
