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.

“When I made good pitches they were spoiling them or putting them in play, and then I stopped making good pitches,” Strider said.

From Washington Times • Aug. 8, 2023

Those guys clearly were spoiling for a fight.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2022

After her shift, election supervisor Rebekah Doughty said her lip hurt from biting it so hard, as almost half the voters who came in were spoiling for a fight.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2021

The hard-fighting youths, who participated in airborne operations in Normandy and Holland, were spoiling for action and they found it here.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2020

This was the way, the very slow way, that our conversations were spoiling.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee