as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
bellicose hockey players who seem to spend more time fighting than playing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bellicose
The bellicose posture from a country considered Canada’s closest friend has unleashed a desire to stand up to the United States and a rallying-round-the-flag that has translated into a defiant patriotism.
—
Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Room for Disagreement There is a case that a less bellicose, less in-your-face flavour of DOGE could work better — and that such changes are easier when they’re not associated with a controversial figure.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
In 2014, war broke out in the Donbas where my family lived, and Putin’s messaging around Victory Day became much more bellicose, making my family reject the holiday ever since.
—Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
Then a sudden switch: a bellicose, spine-stiffening bass line, and the instantly infamous refrain.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Room for Disagreement There is a case that a less bellicose, less in-your-face flavour of DOGE could work better — and that such changes are easier when they’re not associated with a controversial figure.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
In 2014, war broke out in the Donbas where my family lived, and Putin’s messaging around Victory Day became much more bellicose, making my family reject the holiday ever since.
—Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
Then a sudden switch: a bellicose, spine-stiffening bass line, and the instantly infamous refrain.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellicose
Adjective
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Maritz has been aggressive in challenges and positive with pushing forward into attack.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Putin would hit them through relentless cyber attacks and increasingly aggressive military moves on their borders.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.—
Ali Sawafta,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
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Buhari vowed to do more to fight militant groups and fix the economy as the demonstrations turned deadly and continued to simmer for the remainder of his presidency.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Forced to work in a more hostile environment than.when it was first established in 2019, the mission faces limited options for evacuations due to the ongoing suspension of international commercial flights, and mobility, because of gangs’ ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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From retail shops to corner bodegas and independent grocery stores, the past few years have not only forced small business owners to confront staggering economic challenges, but also a needlessly hostile regulatory environment brought on by out-of-touch policymakers.—
Tosha Miller,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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From the beginning, Bruce is belligerent, taking any opportunity to criticize everyone, often refusing to join meals.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
2 July 2025
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The pro-Palestine messaging ignores the fact that a nuclear-armed Iran would be far more belligerent and dangerous than the regime already has been for the past three decades.—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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His warlike actions in Iran, despite campaign promises to the contrary, blatantly bypassed the need to gain approval from the legislative branch of government.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
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The bottom line: Bipartisanship is the most obvious casualty of Schumer's new warlike posture toward the GOP.—
Hans Nichols,
Axios,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bellicose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellicose. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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