as in boxer
one that engages in the sport of fighting with the fists
a pugilist with the trademark of the boxing ring: a nose that showed signs of having been broken on more than one occasion
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pugilist
He was swept up in the swirl of decade-defining events surrounding Muhammad Ali as well as Joe Frazier and other high-wattage pugilists of the 1970s.
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Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Eriksen can be a skilled on-ball creator but is more poet than pugilist when competing for loose balls.
—Carl Anka, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
The 6-1 fighter is not your typical young pugilist.
—Tony Paige, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
The true-life sports biopic unleashes Leo as Alice, the loud, over-the-top matriarch of a large Boston family and manager mom to Micky Ward, a championship boxing contender trained by his drug-addict pugilist half-brother Dicky.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Eriksen can be a skilled on-ball creator but is more poet than pugilist when competing for loose balls.
—Carl Anka, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
The 6-1 fighter is not your typical young pugilist.
—Tony Paige, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
The true-life sports biopic unleashes Leo as Alice, the loud, over-the-top matriarch of a large Boston family and manager mom to Micky Ward, a championship boxing contender trained by his drug-addict pugilist half-brother Dicky.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugilist
Noun
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In crafting Christy, the biopic of boxer Christy Salters Martin that just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, director David Michôd and his co-writer Mirrah Foulkes wanted to hew as close to the real-life story as possible.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
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Christy, a look at the triumphs and traumatic experiences of world-class boxer Christy Martin, is Sweeney’s entry into this canon.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The parade, watched by thousands of people in Beijing and broadcast live, showcased ranks of marching soldiers, missiles, modern fighter jets and other military might as China seeks to wield greater influence on the global stage.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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The former pro wrestler stars as MMA fighter Mark Kerr, who weathers ups and downs alongside his wife, Dawn (Emily Blunt), to become a champion.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugilist. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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