sparring partner

noun

1
: someone who helps a boxer practice : someone a boxer spars with for training
2
: a person that someone has serious but friendly arguments with
They have been political sparring partners for years.

Examples of sparring partner 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.
Gilmore, it should be noted, was hardly Edelman’s only sparring partner in those days. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025 The young professionals who thrive here treat AI as a sparring partner rather than a ghostwriter. — Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026 Francisco works odd jobs around Manila, and also works as a sparring partner for up-and-coming Filipino boxers. — Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026 Jimmy, one of the lightest heavyweight champions ever, was a sparring partner with Muhammad Ali. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sparring partner

Rhymes for sparring partner

See All Rhymes for sparring partner

Browse Nearby Words

sparple
sparring partner
sparrow
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sparring partner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparring%20partner. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sparring partner

noun
: a person with whom a boxer spars for practice during training
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All