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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 gladiatorial
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
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
-
The recent turmoil is testing some of the foundations that powered private credit’s rapid growth, including aggressive underwriting, highly leveraged middle-market borrowers and the promise of stable capital insulated from bank-style runs.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Belt-Stubblefield did not take aggressive action and tried to walk away.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant organizations, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, still have a presence and have been trying to resurface.—
ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Another militant faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, is a more direct Iranian proxy than Hamas in both Gaza and the West Bank.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There was nothing contentious about that first booking.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In her first year at the job, Tuttle was broadly praised for her efforts to foster an open and respectful debate on Gaza and other contentious political issues.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bushey’s hostile behavior following his sister’s arrival caused Laurie and her mother to take several safety measures out of fear, such as removing knives from the home, changing the locks, and finally pursuing a restraining order against Bushey and taking steps to evict him, Pirrello said.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
As events are leaning toward David Ellison and Paramount prevailing in its $108 billion hostile-takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, almost a dozen Republican state attorneys general are insisting that the federal government heavily scrutinize Netflix‘s bid for the iconic studio.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 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
-
Trump led with affordability but his usual combative style also emerged.—
Averi Harper,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The president often has chosen a combative approach, even excoriating Democrats during the bipartisan prayer breakfast this year, Upton noted.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladiatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladiatorial. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
