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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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.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 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
An odd corps of swampy Washington DC pugilists are ready to engage, likely supplemented by political pressure from shipbuilding companies.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
The 36-year-old Irish martial arts fighter announced his intentions to take on the 29-year-old pugilist Tuesday.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 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
An odd corps of swampy Washington DC pugilists are ready to engage, likely supplemented by political pressure from shipbuilding companies.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
The 36-year-old Irish martial arts fighter announced his intentions to take on the 29-year-old pugilist Tuesday.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugilist
Noun
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The cocker spaniel, beagle, collie and boxer dog were also among the top breeds at the time.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
Askren continued to participate in occasional wrestling matches and grappling events, then competed in his first and only professional boxing match against influencer and boxer Jake Paul in 2021.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Jumper, who later helped create the Navy’s Top Gun fighter pilot school in Miramar, was at the center of the action.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
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Overnight July 6-7, 20 Israeli fighter jets dropped over 50 munitions on key Yemeni ports, including Hodeidah and the Ras Khatib power station.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugilist. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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