Of course, it left Mr. Kerry open to rejoinders by Mr. Bush that Mr. Kerry had sounded far more warlike about Iraq in his pre-campaign persona.

Taking the Risks The peace mission also allows Mr. Bush to sound warlike and uncompromising while Mr. Perez de Cuellar risks nothing except the loss of face by trying to make peace abroad.

This didn't sound very warlike.

The reaction in Russia has at times sounded warlike, with some lawmakers and commentators saying Russia should retaliate by force, if necessary, or halt the withdrawal of Russian forces there.

Bush officials are walking a fine line between sounding more warlike and building a case against Saddam Hussein for provocations, in case they decide they need to go to war.

The meeting in Moscow on Thursday ended without significant progress at de-escalating a conflict that for a time sounded ominously warlike.

But Bilbo's heart fell, both at the song and the talk: they sounded much too warlike.

The opening work, right after the moment of silence, was Edgard Varese's "Integrales" (1925), which with its clashing brass and percussion sounds pretty warlike even in the most tranquil of times.

The human costumed eagle character, launched in 1963, carried the name "Scrappy" until 1974 - during the throes of the Vietnam War - when students adopted the name "Eppy" because it sounded less warlike.

At the mah-jongg table, one of the Chinese men there shouted something that sounded fierce and warlike, but everyone at the table laughed.