1
: resembling or suggesting a hawk or the beak of a hawk in appearance
a hawkish nose
He has a thatch of black curly hair and hawkish features.—
Jeff Shear
Jeff Shear2
: having a militant attitude (as in a dispute) and advocating immediate vigorous action
especially
: supporting war or warlike policies
a hawkish politician
He was a frequent and persistently hawkish participant in the war councils of the Administration. —Vincent Blasi
Vincent Blasi While definitions vary, "neoconservative" generally refers to formerly moderate policy advocates who favor a hawkish and assertive foreign policy to implant democracy and American values abroad. —Paul Richter
Paul Richter
hawkishly
adverb
Land is expensive, scarce, and watched hawkishly by environmentalists.
—Boston Magazine
Boston Magazine
hawkishness
noun
… his Western anti-government philosophy and cold-war hawkishness…
—Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham
Examples of hawkish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The market is taking this as a sign that the central bank won't need to be as hawkish near term.
—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The Federal Reserve's recent hawkish stance, holding rates and projecting potential hikes, sets a crucial backdrop, influencing various asset classes.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
BofA’s new Fed prediction Bank of America reversed a previous forecast Monday and predicted the Fed will hike rates a quarter-point in September, October, and December after Fed chair Kevin Warsh signaled unexpectedly hawkish views at last week's FOMC meeting.
—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hawkish
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Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The Federal Reserve's recent hawkish stance, holding rates and projecting potential hikes, sets a crucial backdrop, influencing various asset classes.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
BofA’s new Fed prediction Bank of America reversed a previous forecast Monday and predicted the Fed will hike rates a quarter-point in September, October, and December after Fed chair Kevin Warsh signaled unexpectedly hawkish views at last week's FOMC meeting.
—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hawkish
Cite this Entry
“Hawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawkish. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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