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
  • Back in the ring Ali briefly retired from boxing at age 37 in 1979, but returned the following year to fight Larry Holmes.
    — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But one wrinkle that has challenged Giddey is the expectation of boxing out that Splitter has placed upon backcourt players.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • Video shows a Pine-Richland football player punching a Plum player in the head during a game, prompting calls for accountability.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Anthony David Lizardo, 28, was arrested Sunday on a second-degree murder charge stemming from an incident where he was seen punching a man repeatedly in downtown Miami, according to his arrest report.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2026.

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