1
2
as in to argue
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
contended that the senator's considerable experience made him the best candidate
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to insist
to state as a fact usually forcefully
contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contend
In a conversation moderated by IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill, the artists broke down the biggest and smallest choices that went into some of our favorite Emmy-contending shows of the year.
—
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
The Red Raiders will have both back for another year and Dickey is expected to contend for the rushing title once again.
—Steven Johnson
june 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
But Becker contended that there are many factors that can influence voter turnout, in particular, California’s strong blue tilt.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Defense attorneys contended that Anthony believed he was threatened and acted to protect himself after physical contact occurred.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contend
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
The Red Raiders will have both back for another year and Dickey is expected to contend for the rushing title once again.
—Steven Johnson
june 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
But Becker contended that there are many factors that can influence voter turnout, in particular, California’s strong blue tilt.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Defense attorneys contended that Anthony believed he was threatened and acted to protect himself after physical contact occurred.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
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Greene argues that books are increasingly competing against entertainment options that didn’t exist in previous generations.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
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But in a city that has to compete nationally with New York, Washington and Los Angeles for young talent, that advance from being merely a regional capital meant something here.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Opponents to the development argued that the circumstances are different and that the court's decision does not apply to the Greeley case.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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One of the project’s most significant adversaries is the city of Sacramento — while the area is not under their governance, city officials argue the development would violate a decades-old habitat conservation agreement with the county.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Trump has insisted Iran end its nuclear weapons program and surrender its enriched uranium.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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Rather than containing culture in a single venue, Son de L’amour moves through spaces, as if insisting that memory should not be stationary.—
Desjah Altvater,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Betani was the sole vote against appointing Vaccaro, reasoning that voters should be the ones to make this decision in November.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Folding laundry, loading dishwashers, cleaning kitchens, and navigating cluttered homes require many of the same perception, manipulation, and reasoning capabilities that would eventually allow robots to operate independently on a battlefield.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit, filed against the Redlands Unified School District in March, alleges school officials and administrators did little to address concerns or implement measures to prevent future incidents despite multiple complaints.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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The insurance company has alleged that a rogue AI robot masterminded Dela Torre’s campaign to improperly challenge her settlement agreement, generating a flurry of baseless and abusive filings that cost $300,000 to contest.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Hoiby, 29, had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations against him, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and can appeal the verdict.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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Both sisters pleaded not guilty to the charges.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that his forces had captured a Russian position using only drones and robots for the first time, and had conducted more than 22,000 unmanned ground missions using robots in just the first three months of 2026.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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The lawsuit claims a correctional officer assigned to protect the woman stood by as an inmate followed her into a freezer and pulled a weapon.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The Big 12’s overarching thesis is that Texas Tech shouldn’t be able to play an athlete who has admitted to betting on his own team and who, the conference asserts, has placed thousands of bets on college and pro sports either directly or through an intermediary from 2022 to 2026.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
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Trump has asserted multiple times in recent weeks the countries were on the cusp of a deal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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