sparring

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.

Still, the archbishop is hopeful that the sparring will blow over.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Itauma - the prodigy who was sparring seasoned professionals while still at school - was in wonderful form from the first bell, using his speed and variation to send Franklin backtracking.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Last week, the star posted a martial arts video on Instagram in which he hit a sparring partner with a combo before saying to the camera, “I don’t age, I level up.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Rather, as Gerri Kimber explains in “Katherine Mansfield: A Hidden Life,” they would be known as literary sparring partners, both engaged in the high-stakes project of forging a new modernist literature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Rowan and Citra trained with blades and staffs, sparring against the scythe, who was surprisingly strong and limber for a man of his apparent age.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman