1
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter
a dispute over the proper pronunciation of "nuclear"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
after much dispute, the school committee decided that all backpacks would have to be stored in lockers during class hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to question
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to debate
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
in an extended session the city council disputed the need for a new high school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dispute
Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 16 May 2025
Stephanie initially thinks that Emily killed him because of the custody dispute, but Charity later admits to killing him to help her sister.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
The three lawmakers at the scene — Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver — sharply dispute DHS’s characterization of the incident.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
But that same morning, the party suffered a setback that may be more consequential: losing control of the state board that sets voting rules and adjudicates election disputes.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 16 May 2025
Stephanie initially thinks that Emily killed him because of the custody dispute, but Charity later admits to killing him to help her sister.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
But others involved with the program dispute his version of events.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
The three lawmakers at the scene — Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver — sharply dispute DHS’s characterization of the incident.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
Her crypto controversy began the very next day, resulting in a show hiatus.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
There’s no question that using AI to recreate or finesse voice for film and TV remains a source of debate and controversy.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Knowing her grandson was outside, Mette called out to the group as the commotion grew, demanding the quarrel stop and for her grandchild to leave, sources said.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
This time, however, testimony suggested a thornier layer to the quarrel: Phillip said the family had learned a few years earlier that the older brother was not Ferguson’s biological child.—
Christopher Goffard,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Some justices question why Trump admin did not seek direct ruling on birthright citizenship Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan asked why the Trump administration on Thursday sought to block nationwide injunctions rather than resolve whether a birthright citizenship order is constitutional.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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The beauty of Forever is that despite difficult moments in its episodes, there is no overt trauma; and yet, there is much to question and unpack.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
In the film, Lawrence and her co-star Robert Pattinson proved worthy adversaries, who bicker and screw their way into emotional oblivion in Ramsay’s tense portrait of a woman undone.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
17 May 2025
-
Protesters shouted from the back of the room and lawmakers bickered.—
Eric Lipton,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
In fact, a simple search for side part on TikTok will generate a range of videos debating whether the look is either cheugy or the comeback style of the century.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
-
Body camera footage obtained by his attorney, Keith Rutman, shows officers debating whether to take him to a nearby psychiatric hospital.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Seven decades later, this culture of disputation emerged as a central theme in Timothy Garton Ash’s The Magic Lantern, his eyewitness report on the Eastern European revolutions of 1989.—
Susie Linfield,
The New York Review of Books,
11 May 2022
Noun
-
The jury also saw photos of injuries Ventura sustained from an altercation in December 2011 and photos of her with a black eye mostly concealed by sunglasses in Jamaica in 2013 or 2014.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
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In 2012 he was involved in a brawl with Drake and his entourage at a N.Y. nightclub that injured eight people, followed by an altercation with Frank Ocean over a parking space in West Hollywood in 2013.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
Verb
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The character is a powerful metaphor of oppressed women, challenging patriarchal norms, and has emerged as a symbol of female strength and resilience within the Indian horror genre.—
Sunil Sadarangani,
Deadline,
20 May 2025
-
This is an important step taken by France to challenge Iran’s hostage diplomacy.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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