1
as in tournaments
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
undoubtedly the team's best wrestler, he hasn't lost a bout yet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in seizures
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
she's currently suffering from a bout of the flu
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bouts
Investors have largely shrugged off bouts of geopolitical brinkmanship, treating recent episodes, including the standoff over Greenland, as noise rather than a lasting risk.
—
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
SmackDown’s General Manager Nick Aldis booked a mini-tournament featuring a quartet of singles matches, with the winners of those bouts earning the right to compete in a Fatal 4-Way to determine who would face McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the 2026 Royal Rumble.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Since then, the teams have squared off in two heavyweight bouts.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
The initial stock market dip on Tuesday was relatively contained compared to past bouts of trade uncertainty in part because investors are more aware of the impact of tariffs and there is skepticism that Trump would actually go through with a serious attempt to take over Greenland.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
In the wild, hamsters dig burrows with deep tunnels and multiple entrances for protection and to sleep during bouts of torpor.
—Noel Kirkpatrick, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
While the novel’s narrative engine is the incredibly inappropriate age-gap relationship, the book’s most incisive commentary revolves around Waldo’s inability to stop online shopping during bouts of intense emotion.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2026
The workouts take him about 15 minutes a day, and include bouts of jumping jacks, aiming to do as many as possible in short bursts.
—Allison Aubrey, NPR, 19 Jan. 2026
While many teams have have had bouts of streakiness, as coach Marco Sturm pointed out earlier this week, the Bruins have been the poster children for that trait.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
SmackDown’s General Manager Nick Aldis booked a mini-tournament featuring a quartet of singles matches, with the winners of those bouts earning the right to compete in a Fatal 4-Way to determine who would face McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the 2026 Royal Rumble.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Since then, the teams have squared off in two heavyweight bouts.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
The initial stock market dip on Tuesday was relatively contained compared to past bouts of trade uncertainty in part because investors are more aware of the impact of tariffs and there is skepticism that Trump would actually go through with a serious attempt to take over Greenland.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
In the wild, hamsters dig burrows with deep tunnels and multiple entrances for protection and to sleep during bouts of torpor.
—Noel Kirkpatrick, Treehugger, 20 Jan. 2026
While the novel’s narrative engine is the incredibly inappropriate age-gap relationship, the book’s most incisive commentary revolves around Waldo’s inability to stop online shopping during bouts of intense emotion.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2026
The workouts take him about 15 minutes a day, and include bouts of jumping jacks, aiming to do as many as possible in short bursts.
—Allison Aubrey, NPR, 19 Jan. 2026
While many teams have have had bouts of streakiness, as coach Marco Sturm pointed out earlier this week, the Bruins have been the poster children for that trait.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bouts
Noun
-
There will be jousting tournaments, stage acts and comedic performances.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In his final two years in the army, Kigel was able to train for tennis, although he was not allowed to compete in tournaments.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But her mother guards her fiercely, because even the most minor imbalance in her small, cloistered world could bring the seizures back again.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This is one reason the drug expanded from being used primarily for seizures to becoming a mainstay for nerve pain related to such a wide variety of neuropathic conditions.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The producers and the author were doing kind of book events and the lines were like several times around the block.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Expect to see more one-off events across the industry in an attempt to get people back to theaters.—
Ellie Austin,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While Russian state media said that the ceasefire went into effect, Ukraine’s military said attacks continued throughout the period.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The horrific killing, attacks, and raids in Minneapolis rightfully overshadowed a weekend intended for buzzy discoveries and bidding wars.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The concept of dogfighting amongst the stars has been around far longer than video games set in space, but it's been a linchpin of some of the most seminal games ever developed.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Tempers flared during a recent pair of NBA games, and both contests were marred by tense clashes between players.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Interestingly, Senior Bowl players said NIL money doesn’t cause problems in most cases.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
People who were taking care of the infected pigs became the first human cases.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hiwa is preparing an official letter demanding that the International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling suspend and ban Iran from all international competitions.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Its content features topics on skiing, snowboarding, mountains, ski resorts, travel guides, gear reviews, outdoor events, competitions or festivals and more.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Roberto Di Matteo’s time at Chelsea has a case to be one of the weirdest managerial spells of all time.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Directed by Joel Thompson, the centuries-old tale of demons, magic spells and a deal with the devil is brought to life with special effects and theatrical stage haze.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bouts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bouts. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
