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.

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

So use it as a sparring partner, not a ghostwriter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The singer thenducks beneath the sparring fists of boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 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

“If you make a mistake out on the sparring lawns, it costs you the match. But if you make a mistake in that jungle...”

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray