1
as in contentious
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions
tried to avoid controversial topics over the holiday dinner table
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
given to arguing
controversial by temperament, she's the sort of political attack dog who kills all hope of bipartisanship
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of controversial
The appearance, and his latest announcement, appear to clear the way for the controversial deal at a time that long-time allies Japan and the United States find themselves in the middle of a trade war.
—
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Even so, deciding what counts as a species turns out to be surprisingly difficult and highly controversial.
—Elay Shech, The Conversation, 30 May 2025
Andrew Tate, a controversial internet personality and former kickboxer, is facing more criminal accusations after authorities in the United Kingdom announced nearly a dozen charges against him, including rape and human trafficking.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 29 May 2025
The ostentatious patriarch, 56, and his 52-year-old wife were released from federal lockup in the hours after the president signed off on one of his latest batches of controversial pardons.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Even so, deciding what counts as a species turns out to be surprisingly difficult and highly controversial.
—Elay Shech, The Conversation, 30 May 2025
Andrew Tate, a controversial internet personality and former kickboxer, is facing more criminal accusations after authorities in the United Kingdom announced nearly a dozen charges against him, including rape and human trafficking.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 29 May 2025
The ostentatious patriarch, 56, and his 52-year-old wife were released from federal lockup in the hours after the president signed off on one of his latest batches of controversial pardons.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversial
Adjective
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This public WiFi hijacking threat is almost as contentious as juice-jacking amongst cyber experts.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In that same post, Swift highlighted her contentious history with Braun, largely via his work with her longtime foe, Kanye West.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The 82-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, with 1 in 8 being diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Nonprofits focused on such issues could be seen as antagonistic to the company’s aggressive commercialization efforts.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversial. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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