slugfest

noun

slug·​fest ˈsləg-ˌfest How to pronounce slugfest (audio)
: a fight marked by the exchange of heavy blows
also : a heated dispute
a vocal slugfest

Examples of slugfest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Florida Atlantic survived a slugfest with North Texas and came in at No. 20. Dave Skretta, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 Another development slugfest is going on in Scottsdale, this time with Taser maker Axon A useless button? Catherine Reagor, The Arizona Republic, 30 Jan. 2024 Shead came up with big shots time after time in a defensive slugfest when the Cougars struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Jim Vertuno, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 As weather cancelations could force teams to play games on short rest, coming out on top in county games that double as physical slugfests will be key as the Falcons push towards achieving county championship and state playoff aspirations. Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2024 The city is also recognized as the undisputed home of boxing since the iconic slugfest between George Foreman and Ron Lyle at Caesars Palace in 1976. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 There’s a chance that people who normally vote in Democratic races or voters who usually don’t cast primary ballots might vote in this year’s GOP slugfest. Henry Olsen, National Review, 8 Feb. 2024 South Salem erased a 13-point deficit in the final six minutes to win the back-and-forth slugfest 45-44. Mitchell Forde, oregonlive, 9 Sep. 2023 Trump never bothered to show up for that debate, or for any of them, including the pointless Haley-DeSantis slugfest that was held hours after Christie dropped out. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slugfest was in 1916

Dictionary Entries Near slugfest

Cite this Entry

“Slugfest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slugfest. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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