: a Japanese form of wrestling in which a contestant loses if he is forced out of the ring or if any part of his body except the soles of his feet touches the ground
Examples of sumo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That frees you up to add a little wobble to your lunges, sumo squats, or wide-grip push-ups.
—
Sara Coughlin, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Wide Stance Squat The wide stance squat, or sumo squats, effectively targets inner thigh muscles.
—Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
The grand opening will feature a live demonstration by professional sumo wrestlers and a ceremonial breaking of a sake barrel, according to the casino.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025
Some origin stories date the first sumo match to around the time of the Roman Empire’s founding, but these days, professional sumo has six divisions.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sumo
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.
Sara Coughlin, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Wide Stance Squat The wide stance squat, or sumo squats, effectively targets inner thigh muscles.
—Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
The grand opening will feature a live demonstration by professional sumo wrestlers and a ceremonial breaking of a sake barrel, according to the casino.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025
Some origin stories date the first sumo match to around the time of the Roman Empire’s founding, but these days, professional sumo has six divisions.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sumo
Cite this Entry
“Sumo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumo. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sumo
noun
su·mo
ˈsü-mō 
: a Japanese form of wrestling in which a contestant loses if forced out of the ring or if any part of the body except the soles of the feet touches the ground
Etymology
Japanese
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share