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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gladiatorial
Adjective
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The prison has become a symbol of Bukele's aggressive policies that have targeted gang violence.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025 -
Young has struggled against the Heat’s aggressive defense in recent years.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
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And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Policies around taxes, the federal budget and migration were widely seen as contentious points among the parties.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
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However, all three of these studies come from a closely affiliated group of researchers, are based on the same dataset tracking maternal health, and use contentious measures of both IQ and fluoride exposure.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The kitchen remains bloody and agonistic, demanding the preparation of yet another family meal.—
E. Tammy Kim,
The New Yorker,
14 July 2023
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The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
21 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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The bottom line: Bipartisanship is the most obvious casualty of Schumer's new warlike posture toward the GOP.—
Hans Nichols,
Axios,
21 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
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While slightly less combative than Kayhan, Javan still conveyed conditional skepticism, framing Washington's intentions as unclear and demanding visible signs of commitment before endorsing the process.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Peterson did not mention President Trump or his administration's combative stance against federal judges and the courts.—
Thomas Wheatley,
Axios,
2 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gladiatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gladiatorial. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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