How to Use contentious in a Sentence

contentious

adjective

• The dispute involves one of the region's most contentious leaders.
• After a contentious debate, members of the committee finally voted to approve the funding.
• But this is when things got contentious.
  — Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
• Musk’s time on the stand was contentious over three days.
  — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
• The first round of talks between the two sides was contentious.
  — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
• This is where things get a little contentious.
  — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
• Even with his backing, there was a contentious floor voice vote.
  — Harry Enten, CNN, 15 May 2018
• The coming months and next few years could be contentious and risky.
  — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
• The route’s alignment has been contentious for years.
  — Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
• The Maryland crab cake is a contentious dish.
  — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
• See the contentious posts below.
  — Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2025
• The basis for those warnings was even at the time contentious.
  — Stephen B. Soumerai, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
• So why has the science failed us; why has this issue been so contentious?
  — Nason Maani, Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2021
• Green had been held to one reception for six yards in a contentious first half.
  — Paul Dehner Jr., Cincinnati.com, 5 Nov. 2017
• Yet the manner those elections were agreed to has been contentious.
  — Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
• The run-up to the vote was contentious and the aftermath has been, too.
  — Rachel Janfaza, Teen Vogue, 13 Mar. 2019
• Mask-wearing has been a contentious issue on planes over the past two years.
  — Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 19 Mar. 2022
• Masking has been a contentious issue around us for a year-and-a-half.
  — Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2021
• The two stars strike sparks in one famously contentious scene.
  — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
• After all, many of the contentious bills had already been heard and passed.
  — Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2019
• Neither have voted against contentious bills or held up votes on the floor.
  — Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
• This debate has turned contentious among the many birders on — where else?
  — BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2021
• Since then, the debate around guns in schools has only grown more contentious.
  — Scottie Andrew, CNN, 1 Oct. 2019
• Which means one of the most fraught disputes in the world could become even more contentious very soon.
  — Alex Ward, Vox, 5 Aug. 2019
• There was nothing contentious about that first booking.
  — Steve Madeley, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2026
• The plan to mandate vaccines for school staff is likely to be much less contentious.
  — Catherine Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Sep. 2021
• Funding has been a contentious issue as the event gets closer.
  — Neal Riley, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
• They were embroiled in a contentious divorce and child custody case for the past two years.
  — Doha Madani, NBC News, 26 July 2019
• That will likely remain the most contentious issue in the courts.
  — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 25 Sep. 2017
• The Power of the Dog at a key point in this year's contentious awards race.
  — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2022