as in boxers
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pugilists
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
Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugilists
Noun
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Now in production in Los Angeles, Delphi follows a group of gifted young boxers in an elite academy fighting to achieve their dreams and reach the pinnacle of the sport.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
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The promotion was built to be fighter-first, a phrase Bidarian repeated four times in a conversation with The Athletic on Monday, and for years those fighters were solely boxers, including Paul muscling into the sport with his fame as an influencer.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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While Levin’s involvement in the fight game dates back to his days representing fighters such as Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Mark Coleman in the early 2000s, his expertise with this new promotion will be most valuable in licensing, merchandising and global distribution deals.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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After the government detected and attacked them, Raúl was one of only 12 fighters who reached safety in the Sierra Maestra mountains.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
Noun
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The find also suggests female beast hunters persisted for several decades longer than female gladiators who fought other people, Manas says.—
Taylor Mitchell Brown,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
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The stories of gladiators and the sheer size of the arena captivate younger imaginations in a way few other sites can.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pugilists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugilists. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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