as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
not a reasoned discussion but a shouting match between gladiatorial pundits from opposite ends of the political spectrum
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Recent Examples of gladiatorial
Ancient Greeks wagered on the (occasionally rigged) early Olympic Games; Romans bet on chariot races and gladiatorial contests (also sometimes rigged).
—
Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
One of the city’s star attractions is the huge 25,000-seat Great Theater, used for theatrical performances, public assemblies, religious ceremonies and, in the Roman era, gladiatorial battles.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
In America's gladiatorial two-party system, that could well deprive Republicans of a winning political issue with which to batter out-of-touch, climate change-besotted Democrats.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Speaking a few days before his eagerly awaited womenswear debut for Dior, Anderson described the feeling of stepping into a gladiatorial arena.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
At the conference, Farage appeared onstage in a blaze of pyrotechnics and gladiatorial chords.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Under his rule, the teens are pitted against each other (and other supes) in gladiatorial-style combat.
—EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
One of the city’s star attractions is the huge 25,000-seat Great Theater, used for theatrical performances, public assemblies, religious ceremonies and, in the Roman era, gladiatorial battles.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
In America's gladiatorial two-party system, that could well deprive Republicans of a winning political issue with which to batter out-of-touch, climate change-besotted Democrats.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Speaking a few days before his eagerly awaited womenswear debut for Dior, Anderson described the feeling of stepping into a gladiatorial arena.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
At the conference, Farage appeared onstage in a blaze of pyrotechnics and gladiatorial chords.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Under his rule, the teens are pitted against each other (and other supes) in gladiatorial-style combat.
—EW.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladiatorial
Adjective
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Senior defender Adriana Warrington and sophomore defender Corinne Faivre anchor aggressive back line.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Shapiro framed the work as a necessary step in the fight against biodiversity loss, arguing that conservation science may require more aggressive solutions as biodiversity declines.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban government of harboring Pakistani militant groups -- mainly the Pakistani Taliban -- that cross the porous volatile border between the two countries to stage attacks against Pakistani forces and also of allying with its archrival, India.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the other side of this contentious disagreement is the developer, who said there is demand for new housing, and the wastewater facility is a safe and necessary component to facilitate growth.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Associations embroiled in contentious disputes should seek guidance from qualified attorneys and other professionals to help find negotiated resolutions.—
Awilda Esteras,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Preparing well as a team is the Tommies’ primary order of business until the puck is dropped in what is sure to be a hostile environment for the visitors.—
Dean Spiros,
Twin Cities,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Later that year, local outlet Washington City Paper also reported on allegations of a hostile work environment under Pettigrew.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ong used the word agonistic; oral cultures are competitive.—
Derek Thompson,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Many owners in the city feel stuck—the dog is trigger stacked from the urban environment and more likely to have agonistic reactions towards other dogs as a result.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ludwig’s distant paternal ancestors were in fact German Jewish merchants, not warlike princes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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To many Chicagoans, the warlike atmosphere is the result of the increasing aggression of the federal government.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Takaichi has pledged to revise Japan's security and defense policy by December and seeks to further bolster Japan's military with unmanned combative weapons and long-range missiles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Swalwell and Porter both hew toward the progressive wing of the party and rose to national prominence as frequent guests on cable news shows and as combative, at times theatrical, committee members during congressional oversight hearings.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladiatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladiatorial. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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