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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Bart argues that such promotion has a salutary social function, reaching people in underserved communities who might not otherwise be aware that they are entitled to aggressive, contingency-fee advocacy.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The professional soccer player previously accused Chappell Roan's security of aggressive behavior to his 11-year-old stepdaughter.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Israel wants Lebanon's government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, but the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.—
E. Eduardo Castillo,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The incident occurred during a contentious period in Minneapolis when the city was the focal point of an immigration enforcement surge and after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal law enforcement.—
Jack Date,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
That strategy, known as windowing, became a more contentious issue after the pandemic when some studios began to reduce the amount of time films were in cinemas before audiences could view them at home.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Our city workers have consistently risen above the vitriol and accusations of hostile political leaders to do the jobs that our residents expect.—
Venus Molina,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
While Kirk may have received hostile or threatening messages, including on social media, those were not part of any identified or actionable threat stream monitored by federal authorities, the person told Sganga.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 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
-
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
-
Recently, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services issued an order that Tewksbury Hospital security officers will no longer carry or use non-lethal and defensive tactical equipment like pepper gel, batons and handcuffs to subdue violent and combative patients.—
Rick Pozniak,
Boston Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
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Once elected, Nichols led a drive to affiliate her union with the Teamsters — a linkage that brought a more combative approach as well as higher dues.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladiatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladiatorial. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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