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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In one photo shared by professional boxer and MMA fighter Jose Andres Cortes, Swift and Kelce could be seen sitting side by side in a booth at the restaurant.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
26 May 2025
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Some of his previous podcast guests include President Donald Trump, chef Guy Fieri, billionaire Elon Musk, actor Jeremy Renner and former professional boxer Mike Tyson.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Noun
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O'Connor was undefeated in her boxing matches since turning pro in 2021, and won several high-ranking titles, including a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth World Championships as an amateur fighter.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
23 May 2025
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He had been sent to the United States to make sure that Israel had access to advanced fighters in the event of war with surrounding Arab countries.—
Adam Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugilist. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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