sports 1 of 2

noun

plural of sport
1
as in ridicules
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something taught their children that it was not polite to make sport of others

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jokes
a person or thing that is made fun of had become the long-suffering sport of the village

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sports

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sport
1
as in plays
to engage in activity for amusement from sailing to snorkeling, each day we sported at a different activity offered by the beach resort

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dances
to play and run about happily the millionaire's grandchildren sporting on the estate's spacious grounds

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in displays
to present so as to invite notice or attention sported his flashy new car by driving it all over town

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 sports
Noun
DeNA, founded in Tokyo in 1999 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, spans mobile games, live-streaming and sports alongside its entertainment business. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 The posters include a Sampaguita, the Philippines’ national flower, which Eala’s clothing sponsor, Nike, featured on a a visor at Wimbledon, where Eala announced herself to the wider sports world by beating defending champion Iga Świątek. — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Private equity has used this surge of youth sports dollars to invest in almost every sport played by American children. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 3 Sep. 2026 Where the conversation heads into overtime is discussing the actual work that goes into styling sports gods — whether from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL or MLS. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 At the same time, Ronaldo remains one of the most commercially valuable athletes in global sports. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 But in Zelensky’s office on Tuesday, an American sports hero was handing him an American dog breed. — Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 See Star-Telegram high school sports editor Charles Baggarly and reporter Darren Lauber’s predictions. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Most of them are returning athletes from fall sports choosing to be a part of the squad. — Pj Green august 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
In a new campaign, Travis Kelce sports the latest in Tommy Hilfiger fall fashion. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 One of the best-performing stocks of the AI bull market also sports the third-lowest multiple in the S & P 500, with only Charter Communications, a struggling cable and broadband company, and General Motors, a cyclical automaker, cheaper. — Isabella Gao, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 In the first photo, Lipa, 30, sports a black racerback maxi dress and smiles at the camera with her hands in a prayer position. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Blending Southwestern aesthetics with space-travel inspiration, this accommodation sports colonial-style French doors that open directly onto a private patio overlooking the terrace garden and pool. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026 The Galaxy Book6 sports a massive 16-inch LED touchscreen display with a 1200p (Full HD+) resolution that’ll make long hours in front of it fly by. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026 In March, at an Americans for Ibogaine event held during SXSW week at a MAHA-adjacent wellness club in Austin, Hubbard, who sports a thick beard and shoulder-length hair, showed up in bluejeans and cowboy boots. — Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 The chairs themselves have a sculptural look, matching the rest of the brand’s Dapple collection, which sports sloping curves and modern Scandi appeal. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sports
  1. jokes
  2. plays
  3. dances
  4. displays
  5. targets
  6. toys
  7. hops
  8. exhibits
Noun
  • But she's also gotten backlash for some of her comments, including lengthy jokes about the non-binary community.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The fact that Jerri and her brother have the same name will write plenty of jokes itself, but with Chad gaining notoriety and having yet another person on his case, Jerri is sure to bring some drama and pressure his way.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of jokes
Verb
  • Sabally’s younger sister Nyara, who plays for the Toronto Tempo, is yet to make her comeback from a calf injury, while Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich, another key player, is just back from a foot injury.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In adults, the hormone plays a role in blood sugar control, bone density and muscle growth.
    — Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of plays
Verb
  • Noa dances viciously, slamming her body raw in front of the stage.
    — Robert Rubsam, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Jennifer Corey dances the Viennese Waltz with student Michael Moore Thursday, March 12, 2015, at the Denver Turnverein in Denver, Colorado.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of dances
Verb
  • But this status must have condemned her to a relentless cycle of literary festivals, given that her new semi-autobiographical novel displays a microscopic interest in their inner workings.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Image and Video Capture As a Chrome extension, Droplr displays an unobtrusive window in your browser's corner with all your screen capture options.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of displays
Noun
  • Over 43,300 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia and illegally annexed Crimea in June, July and August, according to Defense Ministry data compiled by The Associated Press, although some clearly hit their targets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Two of Newcastle’s top summer targets went elsewhere, despite deals being in place for both.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of targets
Verb
  • Here, Matcha Milk toys the line between sweet and earthy, blending macadamia milk and vanilla with black tea and matcha accord.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of toys
Verb
  • His Samoyed hops up and finds a spot between the athlete’s legs and the sofa’s back pillows.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Bavik keeps things classic, brewing with 100% malt and aroma hops, then letting the beer chill out for an extended cold maturation.
    — Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hops
Verb
  • Matthew Boyle, an attorney representing the Town of Westlake, stated that the notice was submitted as one of the case exhibits.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The platform both exhibits microdramas uploaded by users and connects potential creative collaborators in this space while streamlining their workflow, like an all-in-one combination of ReelShort, YouTube and StaffMeUp.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhibits

Browse Nearby Words

sportiveness
sports
sports bar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sports.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sports. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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