sparring

[spahr-ing]

noun

1. the act or process of boxing with light blows, or of training by practicing the motions of attack and defense.

   I’m heading to the boxing gym to get in some sparring.

   Wu shu as a sport takes mainly two forms: the dancelike practice of the routine exercise, and the sparring in duels.

2. the act or process of disputing or bandying words.

   After some final sparring between opposing counsel, the prosecution made its closing argument.

3. the act of striking or attacking with the feet or spurs, as fighting roosters do.

   To prevent injury during sparring, they even put foam rubber covers on the spurs of their gamecocks.

adjective

1. boxing with light blows, or practicing boxing motions of attack and defense.

   The place was packed with spectators cheering for the sparring boxers in the ring.

2. disputing or bandying words.

   The crew is a mix of personalities, from the friendly pilot to the constantly sparring pair of engineers who keep the ship running.

3. striking or attacking with the feet or spurs, as gamecocks do.

   This vintage table decoration features a pair of sparring roosters made of polished metal.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparring¹

First recorded in 1625–35; spar ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; spar ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Wordless interludes find Jem and Ray dancing to music or sparring as boxers, their simmering feud reduced to its core elements of rugged masculinity and sibling rivalry.

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Van Jones, the progressive CNN commentator often publicly sparring with Kirk, revealed this week that the conservative activist sent him a private message just one day before his assassination.

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The two, who have been sparring verbally for weeks, got into a face-to-face altercation at a music festival in Oklahoma on Saturday.

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Millions of dollars have already flowed into the nascent campaigns sparring over the Nov. 4 special-election ballot measure that asks voters to set aside the congressional boundaries drawn in 2021 by California’s independent redistricting commission.

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Earlier this month, Musk said on X that he planned to take legal action against Apple, causing a sparring match on the social media platform between him and OpenAI’s Altman.

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