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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of contend
Lawyers for the pension groups contended that Yellow breached a deal made with both Teamsters funds in 2013.
—
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
But instead of contending for the Supporters Shield (best record in MLS), Minnesota will need to start looking behind them in the standings.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
The contract extension announcement arrives ahead of the race on Sunday, where McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull are expected to be the teams contending for the win.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The Nashville lawsuit contends the company’s business model and insufficient safety protocols put women in harm’s way.
—Sandy Mazza, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
But instead of contending for the Supporters Shield (best record in MLS), Minnesota will need to start looking behind them in the standings.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
The contract extension announcement arrives ahead of the race on Sunday, where McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull are expected to be the teams contending for the win.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The Nashville lawsuit contends the company’s business model and insufficient safety protocols put women in harm’s way.
—Sandy Mazza, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
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The spending bill failed in the Senate, as did a competing bill by Senate Democrats.—
Barbara Sprunt,
NPR,
20 Sep. 2025
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Two days after the premiere of season 34, Arnold, 31, who last competed on the show in season 30, took to TikTok to defend the current pros and celebrity contestants.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s when Reid bumped Kelce, who had four catches for 26 yards, while arguing on the sideline.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
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But Tollast argued the cost of such defense, estimated by Israel to be more than a billion dollars in that case, makes this approach unsustainable.—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The result is a bill that insists on safety frameworks, incident reports, whistleblower protections, and a public compute resource, but stops short of imposing the same sweeping mandates that alarmed lawmakers and industry last year.—
The AI Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Sep. 2025
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Wimberger insists that Evers can easily solve the problem by directing his agency to reapportion funding.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Supreme Court disagreed, reasoning the membership relationship between UNLV and the NCAA didn’t warrant a finding of state action by the NCAA.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Michell was reasoning from Newton’s laws.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump has been proclaiming for years that his political opponents should be locked up, but there is a gulf between loudly alleging criminal behavior and amassing the evidence necessary to prove the elements of an actual crime.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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The Department of Justice previously alleged ByteDance accessed journalists' devices through TikTok.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By February 10, 1999, the higher court had decided on the legal issues, and Shane went ahead and pleaded guilty.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
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Green, the Congregation Or Zion rabbi, previously faced death threats from a Tempe man who pleaded guilty in 2023 and was subsequently jailed.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But she’s perturbed when Emily adds on the allegation about her makeout session, which Gretchen’s fiancé Slade claims to have on tape.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
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Head coach Bryan Pinabell said that the Spartans were a big challenge, but claiming the road victory was something his team took pride in.—
Erik Anderson,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just because a paper passes peer review doesn’t mean that what’s written, or what the author asserts, is true.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
19 Sep. 2025
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The co-founder of the Alliance for Respect and Education for Immigrants, or AIRE, asserted the community should be aware the National Guard is not actively participating in the arrests.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.
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