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
West Virginia is in the process of a rebuild, while TCU entered the season expecting to contend.
—
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Transitioning from that environment into an NBA preseason with a contending team had its inherent challenges — the speed of play, the information to process.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
And despite some waving the red flag of a white-collar jobs armageddon, others contend that the shift will be just like any other technological change in the past—and something to embrace sooner rather than later.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Colombia disputes this, contending that Santa Rosa did not exist when the treaty was signed and therefore cannot be claimed under its terms.
—Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Transitioning from that environment into an NBA preseason with a contending team had its inherent challenges — the speed of play, the information to process.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
And despite some waving the red flag of a white-collar jobs armageddon, others contend that the shift will be just like any other technological change in the past—and something to embrace sooner rather than later.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Colombia disputes this, contending that Santa Rosa did not exist when the treaty was signed and therefore cannot be claimed under its terms.
—Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
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Smith, who double majored in statistics and computer science, previously competed on the women’s swimming and diving team.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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The last American to compete in the pinnacle of motorsport was Logan Sargeant, who raced for Williams for nearly two years before the team replaced him.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If the current fiscal package is estimated to not only cover its costs but grow the economy too, the path is justified, argued Zandi.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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The company and store owners sued, arguing players could use an optional preview feature, removing the element of chance.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dylan insisted that the film needed every frame.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Still, his wife insisted that his refusal felt like a breach of trust.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The other offering is Project Eluna, an agentic AI system—designed to act with a degree of autonomy, reasoning through complex operational situations and recommending actions to operators.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Oct. 2025
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The company argues that building reliable AI agents—systems that can reason, act, and use tools on behalf of users—is still far too difficult.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Following the inspection and the FDA’s findings, multiple consumer class actions have been filed against Dexcom over its G7 (and G6) sensors—one filed by Kelly Grisoli in California alleging defective alerts—and another focused on a materials change uncovered in the FDA warning letter.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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Dover police alleged at the time that the pair had been involved in the altercation and fired the shots that killed De Silva.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their separation came five years after the couple were entangled in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud related to paying hundreds of thousands in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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Miller pleaded guilty last week to intentionally making or signing a false certificate.—
Jack Dura,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The group’s charitable trust claims to have donated funds worth $14 million to help Cambodians in a range of initiatives.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Per the outlet, the complaint claimed VVV did not pay Miss USA 2024 winner Alma Cooper her full $100,000 salary.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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There are also forms of touch that are used to convey dominance or assert power, or to condescend or signal a superior role.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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