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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladiatorial
Adjective
-
New numbers show 52% of detainees were originally arrested by ICE compared to 48% first apprehended by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), signaling how aggressive the Trump administration is turning toward the interior of the nation for immigration enforcement.—
Russell Contreras,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025 -
With her outfit switched up to a leather bustier and hot pants combo, Lizzo enjoys being the center off attention until her high starts to turn and the once-friendly dancers get aggressive, things get a bit blurry and the faces around her get zombie-fied.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The militant group has said that the move would affect the remaining hostages as well.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2025
-
In December, a coalition of opposition fighters led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took over cities and eventually Damascus as regime forces retreated.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Focus on jail incident One of Johnston’s most contentious moments came when Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, asked him about an incident last week involving immigration authorities’ arrest of a man in the parking lot of a Denver jail.—
Elliott Wenzler,
The Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2025
-
European stocks are heading for a higher open on Wednesday amid optimism that U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% duties on Canada and Mexico could be relaxed, with investors also paying attention to the potential reform of Germany’s contentious debt brake system.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The set-up has grown increasingly hostile over time, and became an impassible roadblock when the Lerner family tried to sell the Nationals back in 2022.—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Prince overcame the hostile environment and kept TCU afloat during the first quarter when the Horned Frogs struggled to find their footing offensively.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The kitchen remains bloody and agonistic, demanding the preparation of yet another family meal.—
E. Tammy Kim,
The New Yorker,
14 July 2023
-
The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
21 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
Freyja, however, is a more warlike goddess, and even has a part in selecting warriors for her hall in the afterlife.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
2 Jan. 2025
-
Some characters die violently in a warlike atmosphere, and the remaining ones struggle with their losses.—
Common Sense Media,
Washington Post,
12 July 2024
Adjective
-
Saturday Night Live took aim this week at President Donald Trump‘s combative meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — with an assist from an all-time SNL great.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
1 Mar. 2025
-
This sharp critique from Salesforce’s chief executive sets a combative tone, reinforcing why Salesforce sought a potent ally in Google to bolster its AI credentials.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Gladiatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladiatorial. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share