sparred

verb

past tense of spar
as in boxed

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparred
  1. boxed
  2. slugged
  3. punched
  4. buffeted
  5. hit
  6. bashed
  7. brawled
  8. battered
Verb
  • Parton brought her cooking skills to the grocery aisle in 2022 with her Duncan Hines boxed baking mixes.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But, practically speaking, none of it is imaginable or executable without digital technologies that are fundamentally black-boxed, inscrutable to individual cops on the beat and institutional decision-makers alike.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of boxed
Verb
  • The Cubs slugged a franchise record nine home runs in a 17-3 blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field, putting an exclamation point on a stellar month of power production.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Miami slugged six homers in the series, while the Mets went deep twice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of slugged
Verb
  • The detainee said Seenaraine punched Rodriguez in the face after guards moved him to another part of the detention center.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • DuBose questions the allegation that Fields’ sucker-punched his teammate.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of punched
Verb
  • OpenAI’s salesforce buffeted by change, leadership turnover Rajic’s predecessor, Dresser, also approached her work with notable intensity.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Growing worries over whether Big Tech’s massive investments in artificial-intelligence technology will translate into profits and whether chipmaker stocks have soared too high in the euphoria around AI have also buffeted share prices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of buffeted
Verb
  • Throw it on over a swimsuit before hitting the beach, or accessorize it with a belt and some sunnies for a laid-back, yet polished, ensemble.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The American military undertook fresh strikes against Iran, hitting air defense and radar system targets.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • That’s the first time that has happened since her husband Glenn (Steven Yeun) had his brains bashed in by Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Worrell’s frequent foe, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, bashed her over Rundell’s past on social media, suggesting dropped cases previously left the teen free to commit murder this summer.
    — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bashed
Verb
  • The teams brawled on the outside for minutes, but the chants started up again.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Another worker described the chaos as well over a dozen teens brawled inside the diner.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026
Definition of brawled
Verb
  • Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Analysts believe that the successor's profile could offer the bank re-rating potential, especially as the stock has been battered since the start of the year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of battered
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sparky
sparred
sparring
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sparred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparred. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All