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
Federal Reserve policymakers delivered a quarter-point interest-rate cut this week, but leading economist Mark Zandi warns the move carries a more hawkish signal than markets had anticipated.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
However those who saw rates remaining the same jumped to 7 members, indicating a more hawkish position for the Fed and raising the ire of the current administration.
—Paul Weinstein Jr, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
One of the biggest divides in the GOP in recent years has been between Republicans who are more hawkish about using military force, and those who are more isolationist and question military intervention.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
At the same, the Fed pointed to a more hawkish outlook for rates in 2026, where members are predicting only one more quarter point reduction.
—Sarah Min,pia Singh,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hawkish
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Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
However those who saw rates remaining the same jumped to 7 members, indicating a more hawkish position for the Fed and raising the ire of the current administration.
—Paul Weinstein Jr, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
One of the biggest divides in the GOP in recent years has been between Republicans who are more hawkish about using military force, and those who are more isolationist and question military intervention.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
At the same, the Fed pointed to a more hawkish outlook for rates in 2026, where members are predicting only one more quarter point reduction.
—Sarah Min,pia Singh,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hawkish
Cite this Entry
“Hawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawkish. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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