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.

Vietnam and China have a history of sparring over the South China Sea, or the East Sea as Vietnam calls it.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

“People are now using AI as a sparring partner, rather than just the internet as a research tool.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

After weeks of verbal sparring, the U.S. announced that it was sending Rubio to Rome later this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The book club enjoys sparring over polarizing books, but the point is always friendship.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

That way she could make her points and there could be no verbal sparring back and forth.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah