1
as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the seemingly imperishable controversy over the teaching of evolution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in debate
variance of opinion on a matter
there is considerable controversy regarding the assassination of President Kennedy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of controversy
Bucknor, 63, found himself in another swirl of controversy as the first-base umpire on Tuesday.
—
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Most company owners buried under the weight of such bad press might steer clear of any potential controversy.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Ye raps almost convincingly about the past few years of controversy, falling just short of saying anything impactful.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, UConn coach Geno Auriemma is criticizing the NCAA's handling of the women's tournament—a reminder that while the NCAA overhauled women's basketball following a 2021 controversy, things aren't perfect yet.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Most company owners buried under the weight of such bad press might steer clear of any potential controversy.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Ye raps almost convincingly about the past few years of controversy, falling just short of saying anything impactful.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, UConn coach Geno Auriemma is criticizing the NCAA's handling of the women's tournament—a reminder that while the NCAA overhauled women's basketball following a 2021 controversy, things aren't perfect yet.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
-
NewJeans, one of the most exciting and innovative recent K-pop groups, has been largely inactive since 2024 due to a baroque legal dispute with the HYBE subsidiary ADOR.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Last month, Boulee directed Fulton County and the Justice Department to mediate the dispute instead of going to court, but that mediation failed, Boulee said, resulting in Friday's hearing.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Abbott, Patrick brawl over complete ban The debate over a complete ban on THC was one of the most high-profile issues in the Texas Legislature's regular session last year.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
At its core, this debate is a value judgment about what belongs in a basic high school education.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Brockton man charged after allegedly shooting at officers Jailson Andrade, 44, faces several charges after allegedly firing at Brockton Police officers during an altercation early Sunday morning, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Jake is a single father who has brought Kristen up in the severe Calvinist tradition, marked by Bible disputations of Talmudic intricacy and by a radical detachment from secular and popular culture.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
The dynamic left senators convinced that the deal was the only way to move past their disagreements and reopen the Homeland Security Department.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The goal is not to manufacture disagreement.—
Jane Sadowsky,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Department of Defense’s quarrel with the Anthropic began after the company refused to back down over contractual guardrails around the use of its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.—
Devan Cole,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
My quarrel is not with the science of LNG itself.—
Joel McPherson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Morales said two officers were flagged down by a bystander reporting a heated argument.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the challenge in the middle of oral arguments, even while ruling against the civil rights of Japanese American citizens in other cases considered at the same time.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Internally, Mead Johnson conceded it had been beaten in the fight over fortifiers.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The risk When Manfred took over as MLB commissioner 11 years ago, baseball had long been surpassed by football as the country’s most popular sport and was in an existential fight to stay relevant to younger fans.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
