Stewart Cockburn
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In the The Princess Bride, William Goldman’s 1973 comedic novel later made into a popular film of the same name, there is swashbuckling galore, as in the famous showdown between the mysterious man in black and the Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya: “The man in black was slowly being forced toward a group of large boulders, for Inigo was anxious to see how well he moved when quarters were close, when you could not thrust or parry with total freedom.” To parry is to ward off a weapon or blow; indeed, parrying is as important to fencing as sticking one’s opponent with the pointy end. The word parry was borrowed from the French verb parer, meaning “to ward off” or “to avert,” and was first used in English in the late 17th century. It didn’t take long for parry to gain a figurative meaning of “to evade or turn aside something,” as when someone disarms a verbal sparring partner with a well-timed rejoinder. Montoya, for instance, parries the criminal Vizzini’s doubt that the man in black can catch up to them (“Inconceivable!”) with the sharp response “You keep using that word! … I don’t think it means what you think it does.”
Examples of parry in a Sentence
Ben Church, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
That saw the introduction of Tim Weah, who wasted little time making his presence felt, drawing a fine save from Mike Maignan, who moved quickly to deny the US international and then also parried a follow up from Koopmeiners.
—Adam Digby, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
The lead, a mild-mannered housewife and mother of five (well-deserved lead actress nominee Fernanda Torres), looks fragile but uses her particular set of skills — dignity, warmth, presentation — to strike back in ways the dictatorship doesn’t know how to parry.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Before leaving the White House for an evening of inaugural balls, Trump spent nearly an hour parrying questions by reporters.
—Michelle Price, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parry
Cite this Entry
“Parry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parry. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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parry
verb
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