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Showing results for slugfest. Search instead for sludgiest.
Synonyms

slugfest

American  
[sluhg-fest] / ˈslʌgˌfɛst /

noun

Informal.
  1. a baseball game in which both teams make many runs and extra-base hits.

  2. a boxing bout in which the boxers exchange powerful blows vigorously and aggressively with little care for defense.

  3. an intense conflict or combat.


slugfest British  
/ ˈslʌɡˌfɛst /

noun

  1. a boxing match in which opponents trade heavy blows

  2. any sporting contest between powerful and evenly matched opponents

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of slugfest

First recorded in 1915–20; slug 2 + fest

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.

But organizers, on the other hand, understand how much audiences would relish a Scheffler-McIlroy slugfest.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Resuming at 7-7 on Saturday, the third session of the match was a complete contrast to their epic slugfest on Friday, that produced the longest frame ever played at the famous venue.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

In a grueling defensive slugfest with fellow No. 1-seed Texas, the Bruins won 51-44 to advance to Sunday’s national championship game against South Carolina.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

The rhetorical slugfest is growing increasingly ugly to watch.

From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025

“Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn’t know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going.”

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

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