shad·ow·box
ˈsha-dō-ˌbäks 
-də-ˌbäks
shadowboxed; shadowboxing; shadowboxes
: to box with an imaginary opponent especially as a form of training
: a shallow enclosing case usually with a glass front in which something is set for protection and display
Examples of shadowbox in a Sentence
Verb
He was shadowboxing to stay in shape.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kif Leswing, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
In 2025, the four tournaments paid out over $285 million between them, while their leaders spent the year shadowboxing with the players who make their events unmissable, whose gravity pulls in the broadcast deals and sponsorships, with their own dollar signs and zeroes.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
The curator adds that Anderson became an admirer of the late American artist’s oeuvre after visiting an exhibition of his famed shadow boxes at the Menil Collection, in Anderson’s native Houston, in the late 1990s.
—Stephanie Sporn, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shadowbox
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Verb
Humanoid robots shadowboxed, danced and pretended to run small shops.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
In 2025, the four tournaments paid out over $285 million between them, while their leaders spent the year shadowboxing with the players who make their events unmissable, whose gravity pulls in the broadcast deals and sponsorships, with their own dollar signs and zeroes.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
If the clothing items are too fragile to be worn, frame shops can work wonders, displaying them in shadow boxes as art pieces to be hung in your home.
—Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
The curator adds that Anderson became an admirer of the late American artist’s oeuvre after visiting an exhibition of his famed shadow boxes at the Menil Collection, in Anderson’s native Houston, in the late 1990s.
—Stephanie Sporn, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shadowbox
Cite this Entry
“Shadowbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shadowbox. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shadowbox
verb
shad·ow·box
ˈshad-ō-ˌbäks
: to box with an imaginary opponent as a form of training
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