as in legal
following or according to the rules
in wrestling, biting is not sportsmanly, and will result in a forfeit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sportsmanly
Adjective
-
Each year in the US, there are nearly 500 arrests for filicide — the legal term for when parents kill their children — according to an analysis of FBI data by Forensic Science International.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026 -
The Department of Buildings does not have the legal authority to change the law unilaterally.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The book resists tidy moral conclusions.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Very little offends me in a moral sense in the theater, but parts of this script came close.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Efficiency today comes from clean execution, not pushing harder.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Then, tumble dry on low heat with clean tennis balls or dryer balls to break up clumps and restore fluffiness.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But their twin ascents could not have been foreseen based on fair-to-middlin’ careers with the Bay Area schools.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Both, however, are less liquid than gold and may require more effort to sell quickly at a fair price.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That awareness accelerated in 2010 following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, which exposed the exploitative nature of global supply chains and intensified calls for more ethical and sustainable practices.—
Andre Claudio,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2026
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That could potentially raise ethical questions, as federal officials are prohibited from using their positions to benefit personal connections.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Sportsmanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sportsmanly. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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