How to Use combative in a Sentence

combative

adjective
  • When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.
  • Hamby’s time on the board got off to a combative start.
    — Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 20 Nov. 2023
  • But Krug is light on thanks, and takes a combative tone.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2020
  • These moves have left a lot of union members in a combative mood.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Feb. 2023
  • The last time Pat saw Ron, there was none of the fire and brimstone of his more combative moments.
    — Max Olesker, Longreads, 13 July 2023
  • The tenor in the union hall, however, was far more combative.
    — Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
  • Which age groups are most amenable to in-person work, and which are most combative?
    — Jane Thier, Fortune, 16 May 2024
  • Both sides will need to ask questions that help rein in the combative and focus on the result.
    — Simon S. Mass, Forbes, 24 May 2021
  • The man, who became conscious was then combative with paramedics and officers, and spit in the eye of one of the paramedics.
    — cleveland, 3 Mar. 2021
  • This is less combative but requires you to be always on the run.
    — Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2021
  • Hayes got combative with cops and a fight broke out ... with the ex-Texas Longhorns star getting tased in the middle of the scuffle.
    — Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 29 July 2021
  • Yet his remarks, while combative, did not appear to close the door on a deal.
    — Ellen Knickmeyer, arkansasonline.com, 25 July 2024
  • By the end of the season, he was being booed by the Lakers fans and became combative with the media.
    — Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2022
  • Perhaps some of these younger toughs will yet have time to find less combative ways to rise in status.
    — Susan Pinker, WSJ, 5 May 2022
  • And its combative tone seemed intended to strike a nerve.
    — Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023
  • Trump is too combative to go along with such a strategy and may yet close the gap in the Electoral College.
    — W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2020
  • Fain, elected president of the union this spring, has been the UAW’s most combative leader in years.
    — Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
  • Sancho doesn’t appear combative in the video, which doesn’t have sound.
    — oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2020
  • At times, Vance and his staff have been more directly combative with the media.
    — Freddy Brewster, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2022
  • For Chiuri, these three women are a real-life version of Valkyries, the combative Norse deities who served the god Odin.
    — Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023
  • The man got out of his car and was combative towards officers.
    — cleveland, 14 May 2021
  • While the flight crew was retrieving Narcan from the back of the plane, Burch became combative, the affidavit said.
    — Anchorage Daily News, 27 June 2023
  • Porsche boss Oliver Blume is the new boss, with a less combative management style.
    — David Meyer, Fortune, 25 July 2022
  • Peter had declined rapidly in the last few months and had been manic and combative.
    — Lori Riley, courant.com, 27 Dec. 2021
  • But, given how rude and combative Whitney has been — and how rude Lisa has been in return — that’s hard to believe.
    — Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Oct. 2021
  • While at the jail, the male suspect became combative and fought with jail staff which resulted in injuries to the suspect.
    — Houston Chronicle, 13 July 2020
  • Its people still boast a tough, combative way of speaking.
    — Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 7 June 2022
  • Kevin Hart: Chihuahua The combative, diminutive foil to his (mastiff) co-star.
    — Rohita Kadambi, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2024
  • But having the Americans face the Canadians again, after such a combative meeting between the two teams during round-robin play last Saturday, and with several days of buildup, was perhaps needed to cap off the event.
    — Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Sparring with the media and holding grudges are features of Donald Trump’s combative personality.
    — Karlyn Bowman, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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