: a Japanese art of self-defense employing hand strikes and kicks to disable or subdue an opponent
Examples of karate in a Sentence
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One Battle After Another earned the National Board of Review’s top honor this year, adding a third Best Film award to the shelf (next to all the karate trophies).
—
Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
The Pal Che Tang Soo Do karate studio on the first floor was forced to shut down immediately and cancel classes.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Wrestling was followed by football, and an encounter with karate at a neighborhood mall — inspired by an early obsession with Bruce Lee — later led to competitive boxing, Brazilian jujitsu and other martial arts disciplines.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
Spillner, who grew up in the Dane County suburb of Windsor, also earned a third-degree black belt in karate.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
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Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
The Pal Che Tang Soo Do karate studio on the first floor was forced to shut down immediately and cancel classes.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Wrestling was followed by football, and an encounter with karate at a neighborhood mall — inspired by an early obsession with Bruce Lee — later led to competitive boxing, Brazilian jujitsu and other martial arts disciplines.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
Spillner, who grew up in the Dane County suburb of Windsor, also earned a third-degree black belt in karate.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for karate
Cite this Entry
“Karate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/karate. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
karate
noun
ka·ra·te
kə-ˈrät-ē 
: a Japanese art of self-defense without a weapon
Etymology
from Japanese karate, literally, "empty hand"
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