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
During bouts of insomnia, Altman would wander by them in his pajamas.
—
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Casual Pickleball or Tennis While most people assume playing pickleball or tennis is going to burn a lot of calories, MacDonald says that short bouts and frequent rest periods can reduce the number of calories burned.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 6 Apr. 2026
While the North Carolina Tar Heels have matched the Huskies in the W column, UNC has also lost a half-dozen championship bouts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Apr. 2026
My dad had always been rigid and impatient—prone to bouts of anger—and now exasperation became not just a frequent flaw but a full-time operating principle.
—Ashley Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Boxing card set El Cajon cousins Jonny Mansour and Julius Ballo have respective matchups set for bouts at Frontwave Arena April 18th.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
In 2025, the Lions lost a lot of high scoring games, but with Monroe’s consistent pitching success, the team is more well-rounded with an ability to win close, low scoring bouts.
—Charles Baggarly
april 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s even though some of the signals investors saw as hopeful are already under dispute, and several earlier bouts of optimism in financial markets quickly got undercut by continued, fierce fighting in the war.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Doing these in several small bouts throughout the day is more beneficial than tackling them all in one marathon session.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Casual Pickleball or Tennis While most people assume playing pickleball or tennis is going to burn a lot of calories, MacDonald says that short bouts and frequent rest periods can reduce the number of calories burned.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 6 Apr. 2026
While the North Carolina Tar Heels have matched the Huskies in the W column, UNC has also lost a half-dozen championship bouts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Apr. 2026
My dad had always been rigid and impatient—prone to bouts of anger—and now exasperation became not just a frequent flaw but a full-time operating principle.
—Ashley Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Boxing card set El Cajon cousins Jonny Mansour and Julius Ballo have respective matchups set for bouts at Frontwave Arena April 18th.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
In 2025, the Lions lost a lot of high scoring games, but with Monroe’s consistent pitching success, the team is more well-rounded with an ability to win close, low scoring bouts.
—Charles Baggarly
april 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s even though some of the signals investors saw as hopeful are already under dispute, and several earlier bouts of optimism in financial markets quickly got undercut by continued, fierce fighting in the war.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Doing these in several small bouts throughout the day is more beneficial than tackling them all in one marathon session.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bouts
Noun
-
The Waxahachie festival features full-contact jousting tournaments, a mermaid lagoon, rides, games and entertainment on 20 stages.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of traditional 72-hole events, LIV tournaments originally consisted of 54 holes (three rounds of 18 holes).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Investigators later uncovered one of the largest contraband seizures in the prison's history, including more than a pound of pure methamphetamine, marijuana, cell phones, and other items hidden inside the facility.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Another was a 2-year-old (also not vaccinated), who had brain abscesses and seizures and has had lasting effects.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hart will, however, address the pair of 20-point comebacks the Knicks pulled off en route to the conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, a sequence of bizarre events many called a fluke.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
According to Fox 11, LA28 currently states that 30% of its remaining tickets are under $200, but many potential ticket buyers have reported that larger events—including the opening and closing ceremonies — only have premium seats available, which often cost upwards of $5,000.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Israel and Hezbollah showed no signs of decreasing their attacks Friday.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In an attempt to prevent further attacks on Beirut, the Lebanese government reiterated its call to enter direct negotiations with Israel, an offer Netanyahu has since accepted.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Twins have at least one home run in 24 consecutive games in Toronto, hitting 51 total homers in those games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Portland's Shaedon Sharpe returned after missing the last 28 games and finished with eight points in 15 minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jalisco has more than 15,900 cases of missing persons, a toll that experts attribute to the activities of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, official data shows.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The study mentioned above also found that doctors and patients identified ways to reduce out-of-pocket costs – such as switching to a generic drug or adjusting the timing of care – in nearly half of those cases.—
Deidre Popovich,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The professional darts player and reigning Dutch champion, 29, shared an emotional goodbye message to her sport after the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) ruled that transgender women will not be able to compete in women's competitions on Thursday, April 9.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The show includes floral arranging competitions, horticulture displays, demonstrations and lectures along with entertainment, beer and wine garden and shopping along with a Homefront competition that recognizes outstanding gardens of local homes and businesses.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Liverpool may again spend long spells without the ball.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Now, though, with the widespread circulation of magic manuals, grimoires, and related compendia—with the recording, on paper, of words, spells, histories, stories—witchcraft has taken an irreversible step into the exoteric realm.—
Kristen Roupenian,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bouts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bouts. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
