pugilist

noun

ˈpyü-jə-list How to pronounce pugilist (audio)
Definition of pugilistnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pugilist But a patient pugilist values the muffled thud of shots to the resolve. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026 To his credit, the bloodied Yankees fan fought back much better than most pugilists who give up the high ground. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 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, 7 Mar. 2026 The Boricua pugilist rode a prolonged winning streak heading into his match with Mexican fighter Salvador Sánchez in August 1981. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pugilist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugilist
  1. boxer
  2. fighter
Noun
  • His father was a former boxer, and his great-uncle Iran Barkley had been a middleweight boxing world champion.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Four suspects in the killing of former world champion boxer Zolani Tete were arrested, South African police said Monday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of boxer
Noun
  • Popular and literary myth tells that when martyrs die on the soil, the earth receiving their blood will give forth new fighters, thus the roses scattered on the cracking mud.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Well, Kaatri is a fighter and the warlock at the heart of this story.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fighter

Browse Nearby Words

pug
pugilist
pugilists
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Cite this Entry

“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugilist. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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