1
as in controversial
given to arguing
he's too argumentative to be part of a project in which teamwork is critical
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
an argumentative gang of bullies always looking for a fight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in contentious
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions
a topic that sparked more than a few argumentative conversations around the watercooler
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of argumentative
John Gottman and his wife Julie Schwartz Gottman have seen their fair share of argumentative blunders in their decades of research on couples.
—
Allie Volpe, Vox, 12 May 2024
After 11 argumentative public hearings and much political grandstanding, the Common Council approved the artwork, which was dedicated in April 1982.
—Journal Sentinel, 23 May 2024
While there’s an occasional corny line here, Hanna and Sander wisely keep dialogue on the humorous and/or argumentative side — after all, these are figures who’ve learned the hard way not to admit emotional vulnerability.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Venezuela’s ordeal reverberates in the author’s argumentative family: its members’ painful dependencies, moral shortcomings, and monetary mismanagement reflect their country’s breakdowns.
—Paula Ramón, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for argumentative
Allie Volpe, Vox, 12 May 2024
After 11 argumentative public hearings and much political grandstanding, the Common Council approved the artwork, which was dedicated in April 1982.
—Journal Sentinel, 23 May 2024
While there’s an occasional corny line here, Hanna and Sander wisely keep dialogue on the humorous and/or argumentative side — after all, these are figures who’ve learned the hard way not to admit emotional vulnerability.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Venezuela’s ordeal reverberates in the author’s argumentative family: its members’ painful dependencies, moral shortcomings, and monetary mismanagement reflect their country’s breakdowns.
—Paula Ramón, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for argumentative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for argumentative
Adjective
-
Her appointment is the latest wrinkle in the ongoing legal dispute over Castillo’s controversial removal from office on Feb. 18, when the results of the city’s residency investigation were revealed to civic leaders in a closed-door meeting.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Now, the Steelers have made their decision on Sanders, and elected to pass on the controversial Colorado star.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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More likely than an all-out boycott, say attorneys, is a new era in which taxpayers and their accountants push the envelope with aggressive tax-planning techniques that may escape the review of an understaffed agency.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The prison has become a symbol of Bukele's aggressive policies that have targeted gang violence.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The implementation was originally blocked in federal court and sparked a contentious legal back-and-forth.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Some of his actions have been highly contentious, including his decision to deport migrants to an El Salvadorian prison using an 18th century wartime statute — which was subject to legal challenges.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The attack at Pahalgam on Tuesday was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), which is an offshoot of Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
-
For decades, several domestic militant groups, demanding either independence for Kashmir or for the area to become part of Pakistan, have fought Indian security forces, leaving tens of thousands killed in the violence.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The unlikely success comes as the film remains in headlines past its Oscar victory and its directors’ acceptance speech, which was defiantly polemical amid a largely apolitical ceremony.—
Marc Tracy,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Since his decision to headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX, their meaning has only become more slippery, just as his artistic output has become less polemical.—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
John Shine described to me a research trip to the hostile mountain environs of Tasmania, where snakes stay under cover except for the 20 or 30 warm days each year.—
Stephen S. Hall,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Union members shared other experiences and stories, including those of an increasingly hostile work environment for some.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Traders do see the Fed cutting in June, but much can change between now and then, and a stubborn central bank could set off Trump again.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
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The most glaring of those misses came against Arsenal in October, with Bournemouth trying to break down a stubborn defence following William Saliba’s dismissal.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And even in what was a stilted match played in an increasingly irritable atmosphere, Rogers and Tielemans delivered with an assist each.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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This stretch can worsen pain in people with back pain, very tight hamstrings, or irritable nerves.—
Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CHT,
Verywell Health,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Argumentative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/argumentative. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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