as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a movie reviewer who is spirited, even pugnacious, when defending her opinions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pugnacious
Andre was shorter and heavyset, with a long beard and pugnacious face.
—
Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025
Then Martinez, famously one of the commission’s most pugnacious members, decided to share a response.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
The web of secrets and confessions, schemes and counterplots, short-term pleasures and far-reaching decisions, are couched in dialogue that is pugnacious, vulnerable, comedic, and sometimes richly poetic, and which feels as spontaneous as it is carefully crafted.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2025
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pugnacious
Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025
Then Martinez, famously one of the commission’s most pugnacious members, decided to share a response.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
The web of secrets and confessions, schemes and counterplots, short-term pleasures and far-reaching decisions, are couched in dialogue that is pugnacious, vulnerable, comedic, and sometimes richly poetic, and which feels as spontaneous as it is carefully crafted.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2025
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pugnacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugnacious
Adjective
-
In the meantime, an unstable government could become more rather than less aggressive, not least to keep younger hard-liners from rebelling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Wiener helped push two new California laws last year — the No Secret Police Act and the No Vigilantes Act — in the wake of intense and aggressive immigration enforcement by masked ICE and other federal agents in California and around the country.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Although Pakistan's capital has seen relatively few attacks compared with other regions, the country has experienced a recent rise in militant violence.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Although Pakistan’s capital has seen relatively few attacks compared with other regions, the country has experienced a recent rise in militant violence.—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The hostile bid came as Nexstar Media Group agreed to acquire Tegna, in a $6 billion transaction that would run afoul of the FCC’s 39% ownership cap; Nexstar has filed for a waiver to the ownership cap.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer’s celebration of Hispanic culture could hardly have arrived at a more hostile moment for Latinos.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His margin of victory was 481 votes, and he was declared the winner several weeks after the election following a contentious recount.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Clippers also traded Chris Paul, who hadn’t been with the team since November after his return turned contentious amid the early struggles.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pugnacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugnacious. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
