aggression

noun

ə-ˈgre-shən How to pronounce aggression (audio)
Definition of aggressionnext
1
as in aggressiveness
an inclination to fight or quarrel though the dogs have a reputation for aggression, many of their owners insist they make gentle pets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence diplomats warned that any aggression by either side could easily turn into a full-scale war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 aggression The idea is to pressure Iran's hardline leadership enough that they are forced to come back to the negotiating table and/or cease aggression around the Strait of Hormuz. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Zoo Miami Foundation conservation liaison Ron Magill says both creatures act on instinct rather than aggression. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 European security officials officials said an explosive drone found at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany fits a pattern of likely Russian aggression across Europe. — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026 If Washington did not respond to such an act of aggression, Russia could expose NATO’s mutual-protection clause as hollow. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aggression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggression
  1. aggressiveness
  2. attack
  3. hostility
  4. assault
  5. defiance
  6. offensive
  7. belligerence
  8. offense
Noun
  • The salaries match, Strus is an expiring contract while Niko has four years left and the 3-point shooting and the aggressiveness of Max are way better than Niko’s.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This could bring up feelings of resentment, competitiveness or passive aggressiveness, especially if there’s been something simmering in the background.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • The country's armed forces said that it was targeted by a missile attack that originated from Iranian territory.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Mamdani applauded police for stopping the attack but said an internal investigation would be conducted.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Monsoon rains repeatedly destroy their shelter, and the city offers them little beyond hostility and indifference.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
  • While Connecticut has responded to these attacks, creating a new student loan program and funding tens of millions in research programming in lieu of federal hostility, the attacks keep coming.
    — Derek Slap, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • After his discharge, he was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Hurtados have continued to experience emotional distress from the assault and its aftermath, according to the lawsuit.
    — Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • Appointments to Iran’s senior security leadership in the past month, however, have signaled Tehran’s defiance after weathering decades of sanctions.
    — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Even in that moment of defiance, though, he is drawn back toward his actual father.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued several states that have tried to treat prediction market sites as a form of gambling, a type of legal offensive the agency has never before embarked on.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • More than four decades ago, after months of setbacks in the war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, thousands of young Iranian troops launched a surprise offensive that turned the tide.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of offensive
Noun
  • Other possible signs of Putin’s growing belligerence have emerged.
    — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Install one specific buffer this week that protects the behavior from being extinguished or twisted into belligerence.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of belligerence
Noun
  • Xavier Pratt scored the touchdown that finally jump-started Homewood-Flossmoor’s offense after a slow start.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The ruling suggests that the criminal offense would apply when materials are simply available on a library shelf.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of offense

Browse Nearby Words

aggregations
aggression
aggressions
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Cite this Entry

“Aggression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggression. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on aggression

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aggression

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