sparring partner
noun
1
: someone who helps a boxer practice : someone a boxer spars with for training
2
: a person that someone has serious but friendly arguments with
They have been political sparring partners for years.
Examples of sparring partner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Smith hasn't consistently debated a sparring partner of substance since Max Kellerman left the show in 2021.
—
Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
The Overlap’s main podcast is Stick to Football, a round-table chat featuring Neville, his former Liverpool rival and Sky Sports sparring partner Jamie Carragher, ex-United team-mate and ITV pundit Roy Keane, national treasure Ian Wright and ex-England international Jill Scott.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 4 June 2026
The young professionals who thrive here treat AI as a sparring partner rather than a ghostwriter.
—Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
These moments show students evaluating AI output critically and treating it almost as a sparring partner, rather than simply copying it.
—Jeanne Beatrix Law, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The Duke of Hastings and his sparring partner, Will Mondrich, look absolutely dashing — if a bit disheveled, on the Duke's part — in this shot of the pair.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Gilmore, it should be noted, was hardly Edelman’s only sparring partner in those days.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Jimmy, one of the lightest heavyweight champions ever, was a sparring partner with Muhammad Ali.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
Younger by a year and a half, Rahaman Ali gave up his own boxing career to become a chauffeur, sparring partner, gofer, chef and right-hand man for older brother Muhammad.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Aug. 2025
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Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
The Overlap’s main podcast is Stick to Football, a round-table chat featuring Neville, his former Liverpool rival and Sky Sports sparring partner Jamie Carragher, ex-United team-mate and ITV pundit Roy Keane, national treasure Ian Wright and ex-England international Jill Scott.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 4 June 2026
The young professionals who thrive here treat AI as a sparring partner rather than a ghostwriter.
—Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
These moments show students evaluating AI output critically and treating it almost as a sparring partner, rather than simply copying it.
—Jeanne Beatrix Law, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The Duke of Hastings and his sparring partner, Will Mondrich, look absolutely dashing — if a bit disheveled, on the Duke's part — in this shot of the pair.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Gilmore, it should be noted, was hardly Edelman’s only sparring partner in those days.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Jimmy, one of the lightest heavyweight champions ever, was a sparring partner with Muhammad Ali.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
Younger by a year and a half, Rahaman Ali gave up his own boxing career to become a chauffeur, sparring partner, gofer, chef and right-hand man for older brother Muhammad.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparring partner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparring%20partner. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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