disputed 1 of 2

past tense of dispute
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2
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disputed

2 of 2

adjective

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 disputed
Verb
Palace’s first goal came from a corner — albeit a disputed one, given the final touch seemed to come off Tyrick Mitchell — as a back-post ball towards Marc Guehi forced a mistake from Ryan Gravenberch, whose misplaced header fell perfectly for Ismaila Sarr to score. The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Washington’s nominee for ambassador to South Africa used his confirmation hearing to offer support for disputed claims that the country’s white minority was under attack. semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025 The disputed money appears to surround Jay-Z’s music-streaming app Tidal, based on her support of tweets from Barbz referencing the app, as seen by Complex. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025 How the court handles the disputed evidence—and whether federal agencies correct or stand by their initial narrative—could shape not only this prosecution but also the broader debate over the use of force and accountability in federal immigration enforcement operations in Chicago. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 Arunachal Pradesh is a disputed region in the Himalayan mountains along the India-China border. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The army disputed the reports of a coup plot, but that has not stopped Tinubu’s swift shake-up of the top brass. Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025 However, her family has widely disputed both ideas, and instead have looked to evidence suggesting Bradley may have been a victim of human trafficking while on board the ship. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025 Jim Trusty, Rozier’s attorney, strongly disputed the accusations, saying prosecutors characterized Rozier as a subject of their investigation and not a target. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025 Wayer also disputed Carrillo’s claim that some vendors are looking for a new market. Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Local law enforcement quickly disputed that claim. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025 However, Disney has disputed this in a statement to Them. James Factora, Them., 24 Oct. 2025 However, in a July 2024 interview with Men's Journal, Manganiello disputed his ex's characterization of their divorce. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025 Crowd counts matter but are deeply disputed. Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputed
Verb
  • In fact, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of horror stories circulating across Facebook, Reddit, and other platforms about individuals being questioned at check-in by airline agents or, worse, denied entry altogether.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • McKesson never questioned her genetics – or considered 23andMe – until a team of surgeons performed an urgent, open-heart procedure in 2022 to remove clots from her heart and lungs.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.
    Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
  • In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While the tech world debated whether agentic AI was hype, Benioff was already building it, deploying it, proving it, and restructuring his entire $40 billion company around it.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Trump and Republicans continue to argue that the issues can be debated after the shutdown is over.
    Terry Moseley, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Her visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which its nearest neighbors see as an homage to Japan’s past wartime aggressions, have also angered both of those nations.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Some celebrants were building political support for the controversial Barge Canal.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Changes to the regulatory framework and fleet incentives further challenged the business, Barra also said.
    Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The Florida compact was quickly challenged by West Flagler Associates, a company that owns casinos and racetracks in Florida.
    Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • The only Republican senator to join this brief was Murkowski of Alaska, who has argued for limiting the president’s power to impose tariffs without congressional approval.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In an April 2021 Vogue Life In Looks interview, the Goop founder discussed why the outfit has remained a fan favorite for decades.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The event orbited around a panel, moderated by TIME’s editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs, that discussed how AI could shape the future of fashion—particularly from a customer’s perspective.
    Tharin Pillay, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a post on X on Thursday, Sacks contested a Bloomberg story that linked his comments to growing federal scrutiny of Anthropic.
    MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The election is likely to become one of the most contested of the 2026 midterms.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disputed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputed. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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