sparring partner

[spahr-ing pahrt-ner] / ˈspɑr ɪŋ ˌpɑrt nər /

NOUN

practice partner

Synonyms

WEAK

boxer palooka second sparring mate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

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 • Mar. 20, 2026

How funny that the sitcom even featured an amalgamation of Kelly and all of her bad-faith compatriots in Leslie’s frequent sparring partner, local telejournalist Joan Callamezzo.

From Salon • Jan. 16, 2026

Her cousin and previous sparring partner, Hsu Hao-xiang, earlier told the BBC that the controversy was "just a bunch of nonsense".

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

Sure enough, my PB&J comes out of the bag looking like a sumo wrestler used it as a sparring partner.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell