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
Fighting those of a comparable or higher status brought greater prizes, advancement in the rankings, and more glory, perhaps even discharge from the gladiatorial school.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladiatorial
Adjective
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Gregory Bovino, the controversial head of aggressive enforcement activities in Chicago and Minneapolis, resigned from the agency.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That approach, paired with more outreach to Black residents, may help increase the city’s affordable housing stock and close the gap in Black homeownership, though some city council members have urged a more aggressive push on affordable housing.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Israel has also enjoyed a number of military successes against Iran and its Lebanese proxy, the Hezbollah militant group.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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However, some members of the militant group refused to engage in the peace process from the start.—
Annabella González,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Just getting to this point, with passage out of the House, has been contentious, says Andrew Schmidt, director of governmental affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
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The contentious exchange did not result in a handshake between the Israeli and Palestinian representatives, nor a photo featuring the two, but instead a plea from Infantino for the two nations to take part in an Under-15 tournament organized by FIFA in the future.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These Knicks still need to close the Hawks out in hostile territory in Game 6.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Extreme recovery conditions The Asse II mine presents a uniquely hostile environment.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
So should Soufiane El-Faouzi, also 23, who plays deeper and is more combative, but is no less talented.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That was a break from his usual gleefully combative political tack.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gladiatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladiatorial. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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