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
Gilmore, it should be noted, was hardly Edelman’s only sparring partner in those days.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
OpenAI Sam Altman was also there, but his online sparring partner, Elon Musk, did not get an invite, The Hill reports.
—PC Magazine, 5 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
Erica’s turned him into a sparring partner, but Beto develops other interests over the course of the episode.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 July 2025
The other standout is Silambarasan, who makes a fine sparring partner for Haasan.
—Anupama Chopra, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
Used as a sparring partner, AI can propose ideas that challenge our assumptions or produce novel combinations of concepts, shapes, or themes.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Needless to say, Charleson ultimately made the role of Monica her own and formed a supercouple with the late Stuart Damon, who played her better half/sparring partner, hotheaded fellow doctor Alan Quartermaine.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 12 Jan. 2025
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Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
OpenAI Sam Altman was also there, but his online sparring partner, Elon Musk, did not get an invite, The Hill reports.
—PC Magazine, 5 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
Erica’s turned him into a sparring partner, but Beto develops other interests over the course of the episode.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 July 2025
The other standout is Silambarasan, who makes a fine sparring partner for Haasan.
—Anupama Chopra, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
Used as a sparring partner, AI can propose ideas that challenge our assumptions or produce novel combinations of concepts, shapes, or themes.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Needless to say, Charleson ultimately made the role of Monica her own and formed a supercouple with the late Stuart Damon, who played her better half/sparring partner, hotheaded fellow doctor Alan Quartermaine.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 12 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparring partner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparring%20partner. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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