sparred

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In an extraordinary scene, the two presidents sparred on national television about the usually off-limits subjects of human rights and the Tiananmen crackdown.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Elon Musk sparred with lawyers for a third day Thursday at his California trial against OpenAI, struggling to explain why his own for-profit AI empire differs from the one he is trying to take down.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

The defense secretary sparred with Democrats over his handling of the war in Iran and management of the Pentagon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

She sparred verbally with the established Alycia Baumgardner and thrived under the glare of the Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua card on Netflix.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

I could tell by the narrow line of Maxim’s mouth, and I wondered if brothers and sisters always sparred like this, making it uncomfortable for those who listened.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier