1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team's loss
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
played the role of a disturbed and truculent villain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of truculent
Little kids squirm in makeshift beds trying to stay awake for Santa, while truculent teenagers sneak out into the suburban night to do secret teenager things.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2024
Russia’s truculent and obstructionist foreign policy under President Vladimir Putin comes from a sense of having lost the Cold War in the 1980s and having suffered the consequences of the defeat in the 1990s.
—Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2018
Mexico City is so inept, so compromised by the cartels, and so truculent that joint military action seems a pipe dream.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Chinese forces have adopted a truculent approach to prosecuting those claims.
—Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for truculent 
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2024
Russia’s truculent and obstructionist foreign policy under President Vladimir Putin comes from a sense of having lost the Cold War in the 1980s and having suffered the consequences of the defeat in the 1990s.
—Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2018
Mexico City is so inept, so compromised by the cartels, and so truculent that joint military action seems a pipe dream.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Chinese forces have adopted a truculent approach to prosecuting those claims.
—Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for truculent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truculent
Adjective
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Instead, her life was turned upside down last week after President Donald Trump’s administration began instituting mass layoffs as part of an aggressive effort to trim the federal workforce.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA TODAY,
17 Feb. 2025
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That aggressive style of play limited how often Creighton could set up a half-court offense anchored by 7-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is four inches taller than Ejiofor, the biggest St. John’s starter.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In turn, Israel has accused Hamas of not respecting the order in which the hostages were to be released and of orchestrating abusive public displays before large crowds when they have been handed over to the Red Cross.—
James Mackenzie, Emily Rose,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
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Moldovan journalist Lina receives a video message from her estranged father, a migrant worker in Italy, seeking help from his abusive employer.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The occasional injury is unavoidable in a tournament where the intensity is this high, but that doesn’t make the outcome any less brutal for Theodore and the Golden Knights. 4.—
Sean McIndoe,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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While mourning the loss of their child, Marcus discovers that Ammara’s younger brother Chet, a promising Muay Thai boxer, owes money to a local crime boss — forcing him to participate in a series of brutal underground fights orchestrated by charismatic Nigerian gangster Tiga (Hounsou).—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The militant group accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement by targeting refugees with airstrikes, delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, and restricting humanitarian aid.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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The militant group also accused Israel of delaying the entry of essential medicines and hospital supplies, as well as not allowing tents, prefabricated houses, fuel, or rubble-removing machines into Gaza.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The crude and insulting attacks Democratic lawmakers have leveled at President Donald Trump and Elon Musk threaten to drive away voters who want the party to work with the new president to cut wasteful spending.—
Paul Bedard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
12 Feb. 2025
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The positive media coverage of Thomas was the insulting cherry on top of the situation for Estabrook.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The current government’s purposeful misrepresentation and defamation of DEI in such a comprehensively cruel and malicious manner deserves nothing less than personal and communal outrage and resistance.—
Dr. Tony Lux,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
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Immigrant advocates call those moves cruel and unnecessary.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But several of Barker’s best moments and best performances have come in high-pressure games or in hostile atmospheres.—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
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But what Briner sees as a way of enhancing opportunities for people and communities – defined in the law as social equity applicants – was viewed as hostile to those same applicants during testimony last week.—
Peter Callaghan,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Her behavior became so outrageous and uncontrollable that her family arranged to send her to a girls’ reformatory.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
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But her story can serve as a warning for people who are willing to believe outrageous claims online, even if the catalyst for it hasn’t been seen in the public eye since.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
8 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near truculent
Cite this Entry
“Truculent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truculent. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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