prizefighting

noun

prize·​fight·​ing ˈprīz-ˌfī-tiŋ How to pronounce prizefighting (audio)
: professional boxing

Examples of prizefighting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Back in that day, prizefighting, or boxing, was against the law. — Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Dec. 2017 Many careers in prizefighting are defined by economic hardship, spoiled relationships, and brain damage. — Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025 Correspondent Kelefa Sanneh talked with exemplars of a sport that still receives much less recognition than men's boxing, and where prizefighting comes without much of a prize. — CBS News, 14 Nov. 2019 Real, true prizefighting is headed to Times Square in New York on Friday in the form of a massive tripleheader with huge implications. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 The prizefighting game attracted devoted legions, from gamblers to intellectuals, immigrants to bluebloods. — Theodore Kupfer, National Review, 14 Dec. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prizefighting was in 1705

Rhymes for prizefighting

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Browse Nearby Words

prizefighter
prizefighting
prize-giving
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Cite this Entry

“Prizefighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prizefighting. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on prizefighting

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prizefighting

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