1
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
a congenital truculence that resulted in his spending a significant amount of time in the principal's office
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
the sergeant's truculence was revealed when she made the recruits run even further in the heat
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of truculence
Musk reacted to McCormick’s ruling with characteristic truculence.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024
And finally, a new series of jolts: a pandemic that wrought havoc on world supply chains; China’s lockdowns at home and its truculence toward Western trading partners critical of its policies; and the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, such as rising energy and food costs.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jan. 2023
Repression at home produces truculence abroad.
—Reuel Marc Gerecht, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2022
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng opened the door to such a meeting after months of diplomatic outbursts from Beijing, where the truculence of the Chinese Foreign Ministry has been matched by military saber-rattling and a crackdown in Hong Kong.
—Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for truculence
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024
And finally, a new series of jolts: a pandemic that wrought havoc on world supply chains; China’s lockdowns at home and its truculence toward Western trading partners critical of its policies; and the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, such as rising energy and food costs.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jan. 2023
Repression at home produces truculence abroad.
—Reuel Marc Gerecht, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2022
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng opened the door to such a meeting after months of diplomatic outbursts from Beijing, where the truculence of the Chinese Foreign Ministry has been matched by military saber-rattling and a crackdown in Hong Kong.
—Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for truculence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truculence
Noun
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The ethics of threatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider we will be forced to look for other suppliers.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
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In the wake of the US minimizing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and casting doubts about its commitment to NATO, the European Union is now pushing all of its members to raise military budgets and issue debt to fund defense purchases.—
Miles Bryan,
Vox,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Officers added at the time that she'd been arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Sullivan was arrested on March 12 and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Hate and rationalization of all the provenances of brutality.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
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The case has drawn national attention to issues of police brutality and racial bias, particularly in how law enforcement engages with individuals with disabilities.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Stolarz’s inclination to shout instructions at teammates on the ice, often with serious levels of hostility in the name of competition, comes to him naturally.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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Datta writes that Indians had faced violent treatment at the hands of Japanese forces, even if the Chinese community bore the brunt of the Japanese hostility.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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She was shown writing her real name (girls and women in Gilead are forbidden to read and write) and giving the camera a signature June look of defiance.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
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Below ground, Red Ribbon, a hidden cocktail lounge, nods to Asheville’s spirited anti-Prohibitionists, who wore red ribbons as a symbol of defiance.—
Jenn Rice,
AFAR Media,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Truculence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truculence. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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