sparring

American  

[spahr-ing] / ˈspɑr ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of boxing with light blows, or of training by practicing the motions of attack and defense.

   I’m heading to the boxing gym to get in some sparring.

   Wu shu as a sport takes mainly two forms: the dancelike practice of the routine exercise, and the sparring in duels.

2. the act or process of disputing or bandying words.

   After some final sparring between opposing counsel, the prosecution made its closing argument.

3. the act of striking or attacking with the feet or spurs, as fighting roosters do.

   To prevent injury during sparring, they even put foam rubber covers on the spurs of their gamecocks.

---

adjective

1. boxing with light blows, or practicing boxing motions of attack and defense.

   The place was packed with spectators cheering for the sparring boxers in the ring.

2. disputing or bandying words.

   The crew is a mix of personalities, from the friendly pilot to the constantly sparring pair of engineers who keep the ship running.

3. striking or attacking with the feet or spurs, as gamecocks do.

   This vintage table decoration features a pair of sparring roosters made of polished metal.

Etymology

Origin of sparring

First recorded in 1625–35; spar ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; spar ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

We did plenty of sparring very early on in my career.

From BBC

Itauma - the prodigy who was sparring seasoned professionals while still at school - was in wonderful form from the first bell, using his speed and variation to send Franklin backtracking.

From BBC

So use it as a sparring partner, not a ghostwriter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Last week, the star posted a martial arts video on Instagram in which he hit a sparring partner with a combo before saying to the camera, “I don’t age, I level up.”

From Los Angeles Times

His sparring with the president appears to be part of an aggressive strategy to amplify his own messaging as he weighs a potential run for president in 2028.

From Los Angeles Times