: a Japanese form of wrestling in which a contestant loses if he is forced out of the ring or if any part of his body except the soles of his feet touches the ground
Examples of sumo in a Sentence
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The grand opening will feature a live demonstration by professional sumo wrestlers and a ceremonial breaking of a sake barrel, according to the casino.
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Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025
Some origin stories date the first sumo match to around the time of the Roman Empire’s founding, but these days, professional sumo has six divisions.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The quick victory for Akebono did little to elevate the match, highlighting the inherent disconnect between sumo wrestling and the WWE's entertainment style, and the match itself was far from a memorable showcase of sumo skill.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Peña’s staging, mostly within a simple 15-foot sumo ring designed by Wilson Chin, provides plenty of intense action, which the men’s size and strength make almost elemental, like collisions of planets.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
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Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025
Some origin stories date the first sumo match to around the time of the Roman Empire’s founding, but these days, professional sumo has six divisions.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The quick victory for Akebono did little to elevate the match, highlighting the inherent disconnect between sumo wrestling and the WWE's entertainment style, and the match itself was far from a memorable showcase of sumo skill.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Peña’s staging, mostly within a simple 15-foot sumo ring designed by Wilson Chin, provides plenty of intense action, which the men’s size and strength make almost elemental, like collisions of planets.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sumo
Cite this Entry
“Sumo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumo. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sumo
noun
su·mo
ˈsü-mō 
: a Japanese form of wrestling in which a contestant loses if forced out of the ring or if any part of the body except the soles of the feet touches the ground
Etymology
Japanese
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