sparred

verbfight
verbscrap

Synonyms for sparred

verb fight

Antonyms for sparred

Word Origin & History

"stout pole," c.1300, "rafter," from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch sparre, from Proto-Germanic *sparron (cf. Old English *spere "spear, lance," Old Norse sperra "rafter, beam"), from PIE root *sper- "spear, pole" (see spear (n.1)). Nautical use dates from 1640. Also borrowed in Old French as esparre, which may have been the direct source of the English word.

Example Sentences for sparred

It had only one sparred window, and there was a garden behind; but how was I to get out?

They sparred at each other, and one of them was hit lightly upon the chest.

They sparred for a minute longer, and then the giant had his chance.

He sparred with some caution, twitching the cheek next the cut.

It was to be a fight, and the two men now faced each other and sparred for an opening.

So they debated and gossiped, sparred and wrangled—and no more news came.

She had known him from her childhood, had romped and sparred with him.

I sparred carefully for a minute, feeling out what he had left.

"Oh, I'm there nearly always," came the rejoinder, for the two brothers often sparred.

The all-important Ausgleich remained hard aground, and could not be sparred off.