city-states

plural of city-state

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 city-states His historical record of the Peloponnesian War described how Athens’ rapid rise in power alarmed Sparta and made war between the two city-states inevitable. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026 By the later Middle Ages, Italian city-states such as Venice and Genoa were major European trading centers, importing goods from the eastern Mediterranean and distributing them to markets across Europe. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026 Just as oil money transformed and modernized the Gulf into city-states of gleaming skyscrapers, centuries of wine money have polished this rural corner of Burgundy into an agri-luxury oasis. — George Nelson For Artnews, Robb Report, 9 July 2026 As conditions worsened, city-states fought over power and resources. — Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states. — David Faris, TheWeek, 22 May 2026 With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 With crops failing and fears of starvation rising, some wealthy Italian city-states like Florence and Venice imported grain from elsewhere in the world. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025 An ensuing grain shortage threatened to spark a famine or civil unrest, so Italian city-states, such as Venice and Genoa, resorted to emergency imports from the Black Sea region, which helped keep the population fed. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city-states
Noun
  • Although his kiss doesn’t break the curse in this retelling, his bravery and kindness help to unite the fairy and human kingdoms.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Oyo, crowned at age 3 and celebrated worldwide as a child monarch, is being mourned by tens of thousands in a remote border city, underscoring the enduring influence of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food that developing nations rely on.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Zimbabwe is among several African nations resisting Washington’s push to replace broad health assistance with country-by-country agreements emphasizing domestic financing and reduced donor dependence.
    — Farai Mutsaka, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Istanbul, city of empires The city now known as Istanbul has been at the heart of empires, from the Roman to the Byzantine to the Ottoman, and their legacies can be found throughout the Turkish metropolis.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Fictional princes fill pop culture, from heroic leaders in science fiction empires to charming ones in modern takes on classic fairy tales.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • With their countries in a generational contest for economic and technological dominance, the two appear to be betting that a combination of personal rapport and mutual interest can prevent the competition from boiling over into open conflict.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Dentsu was founded in 1901 in Tokyo and now has a footprint spanning 120 countries and territories.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“City-states.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-states. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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