sparring

/ˈspɑrɪŋ/
verb
  1. Present participle of spar; to practice boxing or fighting lightly.
    • She was sparring when the bell rang for a break.
    • The team spent the afternoon sparring in the ring.
    • He is sparring with his coach to improve his footwork.
  2. To argue or debate in a playful or lighthearted way.
    • During the meeting, the two colleagues were sparring over the budget plan.
    • The siblings were sparring about whose turn it was to do the dishes.
    • They are sparring over which movie to watch tonight.
noun
  1. The activity of practicing boxing or fighting without hitting hard, especially to improve skills.
    • Sparring helps fighters learn to defend themselves without getting hurt.
    • After months of sparring, she felt ready for her first real competition.
    • The boxers did light sparring in the gym to prepare for the match.
  2. A verbal argument or debate that is not too serious.
    • Their sparring over the best pizza topping was all in good fun.
    • The politicians engaged in some friendly sparring during the interview.
    • The comedy show featured witty sparring between the two hosts.
What does "sparring" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean