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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerent
Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
That’s an unnerving reality for the United States military, which has nearly 30,000 troops and its largest overseas base in South Korea, serving as a check against a belligerent North Korea and counterweight to an aggressive China in a strategically critical region.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
The man allegedly continued to be belligerent and loud, state police said, which alarmed area residents, some of which came out of their houses.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Nov. 2024
Mike seemed perfectly willing to negotiate with that crooked Nevada senator until the man got belligerent and racist and insulted Michael’s family.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belligerent 
Adjective
That will be especially important because China in recent years has strengthened ties with a belligerent Algiers.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
That’s an unnerving reality for the United States military, which has nearly 30,000 troops and its largest overseas base in South Korea, serving as a check against a belligerent North Korea and counterweight to an aggressive China in a strategically critical region.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
The man allegedly continued to be belligerent and loud, state police said, which alarmed area residents, some of which came out of their houses.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Nov. 2024
Mike seemed perfectly willing to negotiate with that crooked Nevada senator until the man got belligerent and racist and insulted Michael’s family.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
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Take London, which was a clear hotspot (and will continue to be, for some time): Mandarin Oriental opened its second spot in the capital, barely minutes in a limo from its existing Knightsbridge perch, while Maybourne’s soon-to-be aggressive expansion was teed up by the arrival of the sleek Emory.Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 11 Jan. 2025
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Many tech companies built their AI products by training on creative works directly scraped from the Internet, using legal loopholes and aggressive policies to help themselves to data without seeking permission from creators or copyright holders.Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette stafffrom wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Jan. 2025
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The officials do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their death tolls.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The attacker, a U.S. citizen who had proclaimed his support for the Islamic State militant group, was fatally shot in a firefight with police.Jack Brook and Sara Cline, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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Still, many Democrats are likely to object to the measure, especially more progressive lawmakers who have raised concerns about Israel’s devastating war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, where more than 46,000 people have died.Brad Dress, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Now Percy is back to pounce on a new Predator project arriving in April of 2025 that brings together the fierce Yautja warrior with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man for a cross-species, webslinging showdown amid the skyscrapers of New York.Jeff Spry, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2025
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The campaign for Dior’s spring 2025 ready-to-wear collection, inspired by the female warriors and hunters of Greek mythology, finds models Lilli Ostendarp, Claudia Campana, Xiuli Jiang and Ali Dansky reclining poolside in a serene garden setting.Joelle Diderich, WWD, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Parker Solar Probe's ability to thrive in the hostile environment around the Sun is a tribute to the team that designed and built this remarkable spacecraft.Stephen Smith, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025
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Most times, cats, as well as other pets, will take their time to get used to their new sibling, and may be hostile to them at first.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Now the soldiers and horses have been rehearsing for months, with bands playing and cannons firing, to prepare them for the pomp and circumstance of a president’s funeral, said Maj. Wes Strickland, a spokesman for the Old Guard.John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
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When the soldiers, instead of rising up, jeered at him, Mishima killed himself in the classic samurai fashion: performing hara-kiri, or seppuku (as the Japanese more commonly call it), by plunging a sword into his abdomen before a uniformed disciple sliced his head off.Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Hundreds of car accidents were reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his patrol car was hit.Hannah Fingerhut and Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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By midday Monday, state troopers in Maryland had responded to at least 475 calls for service, including 123 reported crashes and 156 unattended vehicles since 1 a.m., Maryland State Police said on social media post.Patrick Whittle, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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After the mission was aborted, a helicopter collided with a transport aircraft, killing eight servicemen.Jonathan Alter, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024
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In the process of aborting the plan because of operational difficulties, a U.S. helicopter crashed into a transport plane at the desert staging area, killing eight servicemen.Marty Steinberg, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near belligerent
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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