Sancho Panza

noun

San·​cho Pan·​za ˌsan-chō-ˈpan-zə How to pronounce Sancho Panza (audio)
ˌsän-chō-ˈpän-
: the squire of Don Quixote in Cervantes' Don Quixote

Examples of Sancho Panza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Such a candidate must always play Sancho Panza to someone else's Don Quixote, riding the burrow beside the questing knight. Ron Elving, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024 There are streetwise brothel madams, cat-and-mouse chases across the dusty plains, a Sancho Panza in the form of a louche British sharpshooter, a flash of lightning that reveals the cruel ranger’s face. Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 There, in La Mancha, there’s a Don Quixote and a Sancho Panza willing to right wrongs. Holly Jones, Variety, 18 Aug. 2022 The production is choreographed by Elizabeth Wistrich and based on Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel that tells of the adventures of the errant knight, Don Quixote and his squire, Sancho Panza, who journey to find the dreamy Dulcinea. San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2022 Stevie Van Zandt, his longtime guitar player and Sancho Panza in the E Street Band, is constantly on Twitter, promoting his latest music obsession, whacking Donald Trump, boosting voting rights, and retweeting an occasional pet video. David Remnic, The New Yorker, 17 July 2021 His sidekick, the naive and loyal follower Sancho Panza, accompanies him on his misguided journey. Star Tribune, 12 Jan. 2021 Like Sancho Panza, our three errant philosophers are sometimes reluctant, sometimes avid participants in their adventures. Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 21 June 2020

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

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Sancho Panza was in 1762

Dictionary Entries Near Sancho Panza

Cite this Entry

“Sancho Panza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sancho%20Panza. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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