How to Use territorial in a Sentence

territorial

adjective
  • Make sure to space out your birdhouses as well, as birds are very territorial over their space.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Creating a fake wasp nest can keep these pests, who are very territorial, away from your house.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, The Spruce, 29 June 2026
  • Some odd-nosed monkeys still form harems, but aren’t territorial.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 June 2023
  • The plan is to fake out territorial wasps who will avoid an area where other wasps already reside.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The plan is to fake out territorial wasps who will avoid an area where other wasps already reside.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
  • What is the basis of their territorial claim?
    — Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2026
  • With the lack of territorial gains, the war shifts toward the bombing of cities to break civilian morale.
    — Babak Rahimi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Gone are the days when one side or the other makes spectacular territorial gains that change the contours of the map.
    — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Russia made no territorial gains in March, the first time its progress has stalled entirely in more than two years.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Wolves are very territorial, and fighting between packs can be deadly.
    — Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2023
  • If there is a peace deal in the offing, land swaps and territorial compromise will be the toughest pill to swallow.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
  • That hasn’t worked because mountain lions are very territorial and tend to travel alone.
    — Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023
  • Ti is a proud and territorial wrangler on the Hale family ranch.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Ukraine has shot down prospects of making large territorial concessions.
    — Filip Timotija, The Hill, 2 Sep. 2025
  • With shorter teeth and claws, cheetahs aren't the strongest in a scrap and are likely to lose in a fight against a territorial lion or leopard.
    — Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023
  • Males are typically territorial, which adds to the mystery of why so many crammed themselves in a small area, experts say.
    — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Peafowl may also be more aggressive and territorial during this time.
    — Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 9 May 2023
  • Oklahoma was not even yet a state, and Guthrie was the territorial capital.
    — James Freeman, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022
  • The site was built along a route that once linked important river basins, and researchers think the slabs may have also been used as territorial markers.
    — Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
  • The question of territorial concessions has been one of the biggest sticking points.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
  • Dogs often become territorial of their homes.
    — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Wasps are territorial, so hanging a fake nest near a problem area tricks them into thinking another colony has already claimed the space.
    — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
  • There is a territorial element to many of these discussions.
    — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
  • Some dogs may become more aggressive or territorial after, while others might show signs of anxiety or fear.
    — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The chimps climb hills not to give them an edge in territorial battles but instead to seek out the doings of other groups to avoid coming into conflict with them at all.
    — Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Nov. 2023
  • Studies have found that, in some instances, background noise can weaken territorial responses in males.
    — JSTOR Daily, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Overhead, territorial howler monkeys announced our presence, toucans flashed in and out of the canopy, and the electric hum of cicadas filled the air.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
  • Both male and female felines can be territorial, though males usually claim larger areas.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
  • These birds are very territorial and often will attempt to dominate feeders, chasing away the other birds.
    — Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Putin could see some of the pressure his forces have applied in Ukraine’s east translate into territorial gains of strategic import.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'territorial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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