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
  • Adam Rodriguez as Ruben Chapa, a trainer at the local El Centro boxing gym.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • An image from a San Francisco police officer's body camera shows an officer punching Kevon Gibson as he is being restrained by other officers.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In June, LaBeouf was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to punching three people outside a New Orleans bar during Mardi Gras.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 9 Oct. 2026.

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