pukteuo describes boxing with a purposeful aim rather than striking the air.

The sole attested use presents purposeful boxing, contrasted with beating the air.

1. Purposeful boxing rather than empty striking · dominant

   In 1 Corinthians 9:26, πυκτεύω is a first-person present active indicative verb in a contrast between boxing in a stated way and “beating air”; the APB renders the clause “I box in this way, not beating air.”

   1 Corinthians 9:26

In the Anselm Project Bible: In 1 Corinthians 9:26, the APB presents the action as “I box in this way, not beating air.” This wording confirms the clause's contrast rather than isolating every contribution of the term.