sparring

verb

present participle of spar
as in boxing

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparring
  1. boxing
  2. punching
Verb
  • The Washington Post took a look at how the designation risks boxing the US out of Syria’s recovery.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
  • Instead of scoring points, Richard was more focused on making the right defensive rotation, making passes and boxing out.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • But that hasn’t stopped one of the country’s increasingly renowned grape-growing regions from punching well above its weight.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 18 July 2026
  • Video footage of the incident appears to show two officers struggling with Hardy, with one of them punching her before taking her to the ground.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of punching
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.

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sparred
sparring
spars
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Cite this Entry

“Sparring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparring. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sparring

Nglish: Translation of sparring for Spanish Speakers

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