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 cemetery is home to Emmett Till, singing icon Dinah Washington and boxing great Ezzard Charles.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That's my thought and my expectation, but this is boxing and anything can happen.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • Alaves' Ángel Pérez was reprimanded by coach Quique Sánchez Flores after being substituted and punching the bench several times.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking to reporters before heading out on a campaign bus tour in Maine, Collins was asked about recent reports of a 1988 incident in which Jackson faced misdemeanor charges for punching an unnamed man.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sparring

Nglish: Translation of sparring for Spanish Speakers

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