as in boxer
one that engages in the sport of fighting with the fists
a pugilist with the trademark of the boxing ring: a nose that showed signs of having been broken on more than one occasion
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Recent Examples of pugilist
The true-life sports biopic unleashes Leo as Alice, the loud, over-the-top matriarch of a large Boston family and manager mom to Micky Ward, a championship boxing contender trained by his drug-addict pugilist half-brother Dicky.
—
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
An odd corps of swampy Washington DC pugilists are ready to engage, likely supplemented by political pressure from shipbuilding companies.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
The 36-year-old Irish martial arts fighter announced his intentions to take on the 29-year-old pugilist Tuesday.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
The Texas Democrat has quickly emerged as among the most prominent of the Democrats’ young and rising stars, carving out a reputation as a fierce partisan pugilist ready to take on conservatives over some of the hottest topics being debated in the Capitol.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
An odd corps of swampy Washington DC pugilists are ready to engage, likely supplemented by political pressure from shipbuilding companies.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
The 36-year-old Irish martial arts fighter announced his intentions to take on the 29-year-old pugilist Tuesday.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
The Texas Democrat has quickly emerged as among the most prominent of the Democrats’ young and rising stars, carving out a reputation as a fierce partisan pugilist ready to take on conservatives over some of the hottest topics being debated in the Capitol.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugilist
Noun
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With intention, Rashid Johnson visited the boxer’s grave in 2006 and photographed himself slumped upon its tombstone.—
Yinka Elujoba,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
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On Saturday, Padley stepped into the ring for his first fight as a full-time boxer, matching up against Marko Cvetanovic.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Its military said several Pakistani military targets were struck as a result of multiple Pakistani attacks on 26 locations using drones and fighter planes.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2025
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Hours earlier, India and Pakistan both carried out strikes using drones and missiles fired from fighter jets in a major escalation of the conflict.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugilist. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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