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sparring partner

[spahr-ing pahrt-ner]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a boxer who spars with and otherwise serves to train a boxer who is preparing for a bout.
a person who serves to sharpen and expand one’s thinking through frequent friendly debate.
This provocative political writer was the frequent sparring partner of a popular talk show host on TV.

sparring partner

/ ˈ��ɑː��ɪŋ /

noun

a person who practises with a boxer during training
a person with whom one has friendly arguments

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sparring partner¹

First recorded in 1905–10

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Idioms and Phrases

An individual with whom one enjoys arguing, as in Jim's my best sparring partner. This expression alludes to boxing, where since about 1900 it has denoted the person one practices or trains with. [Mid-1900s] Also see spar with.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The move came less than a week before the inauguration of President Trump, who was O’Donnell’s sparring partner and nemesis long before he was first elected.

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"The AI is not so much giving you answers, as giving you a sparring partner," he says.

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Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus defended his old sparring partner Gatland this week and urged people to show the Wales boss the respect he deserves.

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Can she push her own messaging and policy ideas to the fore when her sparring partner is renowned for quashing substantive discourse in a barrage of insults, lies and red herrings?

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They have turned to friendly hackers to probe their cyberdefenses, like boxers who use sparring partners to ready them for a championship fight.

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sparring sparrow

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