ARGUE Synonyms: 183 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'argue' contrast with its synonyms?

The words debate and discuss are common synonyms of argue . While all three words mean "to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince," argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held. // argued that the project would be too costly

Q: When is it sensible to use 'debate' instead of 'argue'?

While in some cases nearly identical to argue , debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself. // debated the merits of the amendment // I'm debating whether I should go

Q: When might 'discuss' be a better fit than 'argue'?

The synonyms discuss and argue are sometimes interchangeable, but discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con. // discussed the need for a new highway

argue

verb

ˈär-(ˌ)gyü

Definition of argue

as in to contend

to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration argued that a bake sale would make a lot less money than a car wash

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to bicker

to express different opinions about something often angrily that couple argues so incessantly it's a miracle they're still together

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to convince

to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests argued my boss into letting me telecommute for four days a week

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to discuss

to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion candidates arguing gun control in a nationally televised debate

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to confirm

to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of the security video argues that it was a taller man who entered the building

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb argue contrast with its synonyms?

The words debate and discuss are common synonyms of argue. While all three words mean "to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince," argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held.

argued that the project would be too costly

When is it sensible to use debate instead of argue?

While in some cases nearly identical to argue, debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself.

debated the merits of the amendment

I'm debating whether I should go

When might discuss be a better fit than argue?

The synonyms discuss and argue are sometimes interchangeable, but discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con.

discussed the need for a new highway

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 argue Some argue for a regionalised national performance set-up with later academy intakes, which would allow for more concentrated investment in later teenage years. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 The state argues the law is necessary to meet its recycling and climate goals and will save Californians over $53 billion. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The authors argue caregiving is a business imperative, not just a women's issue, as supporting all caregivers retains talent and develops empathetic leaders. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Purists argue that the investment style ultimately protects wealth. — Alastair Marsh, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for argue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for argue

Verb

Decisions on matters such as war, citizenship, exile and capital punishment were made in the assemblies and courts, where citizens heard contending speeches and voted immediately afterwards.

— Richard Yanowitch, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
Pitching is always in high demand at the trade deadline and Garrett would be an option as a back end of the rotation starter or a swingman for a contending team.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

Definition of contend

Verb

After bickering with Percy over her involvement in the mission, Thalia ultimately drives away from the scene.

— Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Establishment figures such as Jeffries and the party’s 2028 presidential candidates will need to grasp that the relationship between the DSA and the Democratic Party is not one of occasionally bickering siblings, but of parasite and host.

— James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026

Definition of bicker

Verb

From there, the episode’s mommy-issues plot thickens as the real Alicent does show up at Harrenhal and Alys tries (and fails) to convince Aemond his mother is not there to help him.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
Reports suggest Torres feels unappreciated and has been convinced by Luis Enrique to move to the French capital.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of convince

Verb

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the route negotiated with Oman would be a single corridor, rather than two routes – one close to the Iranian coast and one close to Oman’s – that had been discussed previously.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Don’t Be Late Tardiness is an etiquette no-no that Southerners don’t tend to love in any circumstance, but book clubs are inherently about discussing and listening to each other.

— Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of discuss

Verb

Zuckerberg acknowledged the potential to generate additional revenue by renting its computing infrastructure to other companies, and confirmed that Meta has plans to get into the cloud business, promising an update soon.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 30 July 2026
The strongest systems will likely recommend thoughtfully, confirm preferences and give travelers control rather than making assumptions.

— Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of confirm

Verb

Unlike conventional robots that are programmed for repetitive tasks, the new models are designed to reason through actions, adapt to unfamiliar environments, and carry out multi-step jobs with minimal retraining.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
Closing that gap requires 100% session capture across device conditions, interaction sequences, UI behavior and network context, because agents reasoning from incomplete data produce incomplete answers.

— Jim Douglas, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of reason

Verb

If your body has been asking you in a few ways to slow down (like feeling a cough coming on, or a tiredness that won’t shake off), stop fighting against what your body or heart is trying to tell you.

— Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2026
Only one helicopter was able to scoop water from the sea to fight the blaze.

— Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of fight

Verb

The board also voted down a proposal to increase rider fares to generate between $8 million and $12 million after a lengthy discussion and multiple failed amendments aimed at trying to persuade a majority of directors to pass the motion.

— Katie Langford, Denver Post, 29 July 2026
Dr Chris Vas, Associate Professor at the University of Canterbury in southern England, said the EU wants to persuade its manufacturers to go cheaper, the lowest price is more like €15,000 than €10,000.

— Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of persuade

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arguable

argue

argued

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“Argue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/argue. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of argue

verb

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