as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
the players need to temper their pugnacity with a little self-restraint—their aggressive style of play too often results in penalties
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Recent Examples of pugnacity
Trump had won by fifty-three points there in 2016, and Greene’s paranoid pugnacity seemed like a good fit, if voters could stomach an outsider.
—
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
That does not mean his pugnacity has dimmed.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugnacity
Noun
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His reckless decision to escalate the aggression and number of immigration agents is a causal factor, regardless of the outcome of an investigation into this tragic death.—
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When the music dissolves into an ethereal, ambient soundscape and a psychedelic, spiritual journey, that’s where finding the right amount of energy, aggression, violence, and grief, to support the story and to explain things that the dialog couldn’t, was the most challenging part.—
Noun
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Davion Mitchell’s defense and aggressiveness?—
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That aggressiveness defined December.—
Noun
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After years of fighting for its survival in the face of hacks and growing regulatory hostility, crypto’s fortunes abruptly change.—
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Jewish and civil rights groups blasted the move as weakening safeguards, fueling criticism that Mamdani’s early agenda signals hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.—
Cite this Entry
“Pugnacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugnacity. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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