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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
  • Eubank Jr was seven years older than Benn, five years further into his professional career and, more pertinently, boxing at middleweight, three weight classes higher than super-lightweight Benn.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Pausing midway through a meal to check in with your hunger is a good rule of thumb, and boxing half of a meal at a restaurant to bring home can also help.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • Since the turn of the century, car makers have been among the crown jewels of the German economy, punching above their weight in terms of investment and innovation.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • See, the way my thighs are set up, running long distance in a pair of shorty shorts would just mean punching a one-way ticket to Chafe-town.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 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 30 Sep. 2026.

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