joust 1 of 2

verb

Definition of joustnext
as in to fight
of knights in the Middle Ages to engage in battle on horseback with lances The knights jousted against each other.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

joust

2 of 2

noun

as in duel

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of joust
Verb
After this rather violent courtship, the female enters the den, and the pair spends several days living together, often jousting. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026 His unique beak-jousting technique, which enabled him to quickly displace his rivals. — ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Attending a joust is one of the quintessential renaissance festival experiences. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Johnson, a sophomore setter/right-side hitter, won a joust at the net with Lockport trailing 23-22 in the first game to pump the Porters up. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for joust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joust
  1. fight
  2. duel
  3. battle
  4. confrontation
  5. wrestle
  6. face-off
  7. fistfight
  8. slugfest
Verb
  • But the judge’s order showed a possible path forward for other court fights around the country as Meta faces mounting legal, regulatory and public pressure to do more to protect young people.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Garlic Garlic is rich in plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antihypertensive (fighting high blood pressure) properties.
    — Carrie Madormo, HEALTH, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • Rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña won the duel against Milwaukee Brewers sensation Jacob Misiorowski in the Angels’ 3-0 victory on Sunday afternoon.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Cherry went 74 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Racing Louisville, recording four defensive clearances and winning three of her four aerial duels as Angel City lost for the first time in four games.
    — Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 31 July 2026
Definition of duel
Verb
  • Helicopters and drones have also been deployed to help battle the fire, while crews have built firebreaks to try to prevent further spread.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Raquel’s battling that same thing of just not really knowing how, but wanting to be in her version of being a good mom.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • On Memorial Day, 1927, when Fred was twenty-one, he was arrested for refusing to disperse during a violent confrontation between police and a band of white-hooded Klansmen in Queens; he was released shortly after.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Tyrell Scott was stabbed in the chest during a confrontation on Riverdale Ave.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Verb
  • Police wrestled him down, and Fauci, dressed in his white lab coat, bolted downstairs.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That means a rare Friday session, when the Senate will finish its saga on Russia sanctions after wrestling with the issue for more than a year.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrestle
Noun
  • Our Avengers assemble for one final face-off against Thanos, bringing some heroes’ stories to a close and teasing others that are just beginning.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • For national tournaments, the corollary is how poorer countries always have to match up against richer ones for regional face-offs and qualifiers that culminate in the quadrennial dream that is the World Cup.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of face-off
Noun
  • After the high-speed chase erupts into gunfire and a brutal fistfight, Kim hijacks the vehicle, takes the official hostage and speeds off a bridge into the water below.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Later, Enola also participates in a horseback chase and violent fistfight with the female villain.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
Definition of fistfight
Noun
  • Sweden loses key piece The first half was a sloppy slugfest as both teams tried to use their physicality to assume control.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
  • The Republican race for governor between Rick Jackson and Burt Jones has been nothing short of a slugfest.
    — Shannon McCaffrey, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of slugfest

Browse Nearby Words

journeys
joust
jousted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Joust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joust. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on joust

Nglish: Translation of joust for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about joust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All