JOUSTING Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

jousting

verb

present participle of joust

as in fighting

of knights in the Middle Ages to engage in battle on horseback with lances The knights jousted against each other.

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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.

Recent Examples of jousting There was plenty of jousting as well in the third of give debates planned in the race. — Jared Gans, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026 But this was really a form of dandyism, of theatre—a bit like jousting in Europe during the late Middle Ages, when combat between knights had become a performance of chivalry. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Niners are going from clobbering the preseason Super Bowl favorite to facing a team jousting with Cleveland for consensus worst in the league. — Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, outside the five districts that Democrats hope to switch, there are safely Democratic districts where progressive candidates are jousting with mainstream rivals, a subset of the national party’s ideological conflict. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 For one thing, the later game features Messi, who at the ripe old age of 39 is jousting with France’s Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026 The countries also are jousting over management of the Panama Canal. — ABC News, 12 May 2026 Now the Ducks, who put pen to paper with Quenneville last May, are seeking to replicate that feat by jousting with the Vegas Golden Knights for a chance to advance to the conference finals for the first time since their 2017 loss to the Nashville Predators. — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 After this rather violent courtship, the female enters the den, and the pair spends several days living together, often jousting. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jousting

Verb

The discovery raises the possibility of a grim outcome in the search for the four men, which has led to El Salvador deploying 450 special forces soldiers to Haiti as of Friday to aid the gang-fighting force in the search.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
The whole idea is for Israel to keep fighting, because endless wars serve Netanyahu to maintain… a constant state of emergency.

— Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

Sundfør was also drawn to Julian’s ideas through a close friend who converted to Catholicism while battling cancer, and with whom Sundfør read religious texts, including Julian’s Revelations.

— Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Fewer Americans than ever think that their representative in Congress deserves to be reelected ahead of a midterm election, according to new Gallup polling, a warning sign for incumbents from both parties battling for their seats next week.

— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of battling

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jousted

jousting

jousts

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“Jousting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jousting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of jousting

verb

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