How to Use swordplay in a Sentence

swordplay

noun
  • The film blends classic wuxia swordplay with the darker tone of a crime thriller.
    Faye Bradley, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
  • There are ten fight scenes ranging from classic swordplay to martial arts and even a food fight.
    cleveland, 2 May 2022
  • In keeping with such nonsense, there’s also lots of swordplay.
    BostonGlobe.com, 21 Oct. 2021
  • Hour-long martial arts lessons are offered by iaidō and kendo masters, styles that are both heavy on swordplay.
    Richard Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2021
  • The game features brutal action, with a strong focus on swordplay.
    Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 29 Apr. 2022
  • The rift leads to scheming and swordplay aplenty, with some time left over for old-fashioned bodice-ripping trysts.
    Brian Lowry, CNN, 26 May 2017
  • As a few men mark the swordplay with wooden batons, the other cast members look on placidly.
    Helen Shaw, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2021
  • Ahsoka stakes her claim to her own series with a dazzling display of white-hot swordplay.
    Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Aug. 2023
  • Though hardly a heart-thumping action pic, a few scenes of swordplay make the most of that precious Tatara steel.
    John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 June 2017
  • And there’s a single blade mode, which hews closest to the actual swordplay of Star Wars.
    Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, 18 May 2018
  • But the fact that this seemingly unbalanced swordplay is available as an option is hard to ignore.
    Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 7 Dec. 2020
  • Bran has been warging into Hodor and practicing with his body, because Bran had been trained in swordplay.
    James Hibberd, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2020
  • Director Ang Lee makes great use of her skills to create the kind of onscreen swordplay that's the stuff of legends.
    Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Later in the dinner, knight appears in armor to defend her honor and Kuhl engages the knight in swordplay.
    Ronald W. Erdrich, The Seattle Times, 24 Dec. 2017
  • Much of the character’s swordplay involves her efforts to protect the crown prince, played by Park Hyung-sik.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2023
  • Above all, though, Ghost of Tsushima’s balletic swordplay is the game’s standout feature.
    Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2020
  • Yet Collum manages to catch the eye of Alasdair’s marshal, who teaches him the basics of swordplay.
    Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 16 July 2024
  • Violence includes frequent swordplay, fights against monsters and a bloody battlefield with many dead bodies.
    Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2022
  • Wallace also choreographed the fight scenes, resulting in some impressive swordplay.
    Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com, 12 May 2018
  • Expect some violence, including fistfights, guns, swordplay, a person set on fire and a kidnapping.
    Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022
  • There are a couple of neat monsters, including one that looks like a whole school of anglerfish jammed together, and a bit of entertaining swordplay.
    Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2022
  • This is so much more real, and more engaging, than most VR games’ phantom climbing or phantom swordplay, which still feels to me like eerie pantomime.
    Adrienne So, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2023
  • Expect lots of violence, including extensive swordplay, gun use and fistfights.
    Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Lay waste to crooks with gunfire and swordplay in this unique, third-person shooter from the makers of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden.
    PCMAG, 19 Jan. 2023
  • This is the 26th year for the fest, which includes period entertainment, such as jousting, swordplay, magic, music and more.
    Phil Marty, chicagotribune.com, 10 May 2017
  • But Reiner bucked that tradition, insisting that Elwes and Patinkin do all the swordplay themselves.
    Michele Wojciechowski, HWD, 9 Oct. 2017
  • From there, Starlux created glowing swordplay games, versions of hide-and-seek and Sardines, glowing treasure hunts.
    Shannon Sollitt, The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023
  • There is a lot of awesome swordplay, sweatiness and chest-thumping (thank the gods for Stephen Dorff, who plays Theseus’ comrade at arms Stavros).
    Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 11 Nov. 2011
  • Christopher Frater, a 29-year-old knight of Medieval Times, says muscle memory kicked in after his weeks without swordplay.
    Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 7 Aug. 2020
  • This year’s acts include new plays and musicals, music, standup and improv comedy, cabaret, Shakespearean swordplay, dance, drag shows and acrobatics.
    Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swordplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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