1
as in reasoning
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
2
as in bickering
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
3
as in convincing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in discussing
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
5
as in confirming
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
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 arguing
Generally, the judges who’ve released detainees say the federal government is wrongly arguing that a statute that historically applied to migrants caught at the border can be applied to anyone seeking to gain legal status to remain in the United States.
—
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
In 2014, the New York Times published a six-part series arguing for a repeal on the federal marijuana ban, comparing the government’s treatment of cannabis to the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s.
—Elaine Mallon, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2026
The ladies then try to blame Amanda for deflecting her opinion about Dorit onto Kyle and getting Kyle and Dorit arguing.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Netanyahu filed court documents arguing that the severity of the crimes, along with payments the men reportedly received from a Palestinian Authority fund, justify pulling their citizenship and expelling them from the Jewish State.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Some environmentalists are squawking, however, because the iconic wood stork will soon lose its federal protection, arguing climate change and environmental policy rollbacks continue to threaten its wetland habitat.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The two men entered the subway station separately and began arguing while the platform was filled with straphangers, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha criticized Democrats for opposing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, arguing that the party has said before that voter ID laws are voter suppression.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Tshisekedi, who last December signed a US government partnership to prioritize US investors in its mining sector, linked the latest investment opportunity directly to security, arguing that illicit mining and informal supply chains help fuel violence in eastern DR Congo.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
In 2014, the New York Times published a six-part series arguing for a repeal on the federal marijuana ban, comparing the government’s treatment of cannabis to the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s.
—Elaine Mallon, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2026
The ladies then try to blame Amanda for deflecting her opinion about Dorit onto Kyle and getting Kyle and Dorit arguing.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Netanyahu filed court documents arguing that the severity of the crimes, along with payments the men reportedly received from a Palestinian Authority fund, justify pulling their citizenship and expelling them from the Jewish State.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Some environmentalists are squawking, however, because the iconic wood stork will soon lose its federal protection, arguing climate change and environmental policy rollbacks continue to threaten its wetland habitat.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The two men entered the subway station separately and began arguing while the platform was filled with straphangers, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha criticized Democrats for opposing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, arguing that the party has said before that voter ID laws are voter suppression.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Tshisekedi, who last December signed a US government partnership to prioritize US investors in its mining sector, linked the latest investment opportunity directly to security, arguing that illicit mining and informal supply chains help fuel violence in eastern DR Congo.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arguing
Verb
-
In reasoning training, study participants worked on the ability to solve problems that follow a serial pattern, like identifying the pattern in a letter or number series.—
Akshay Syal,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
-
But Sophie decides not to, reasoning that Benedict is only looking for the Lady in Silver, who’s a fantasy.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her grandparents are constantly bickering, worn down by the pressures of keeping the family hotel afloat.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The choice not to pick a team has left fans bickering with each other.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Good vibes aside, convincing city officials to enact street closures for race routes is a complicated and often political process, and the margins on these events are typically low.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But convincing him to go ahead with the house project took some effort.—
Mark Lamster
Architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After all, the story is so endlessly compelling that people are still discussing and dissecting it 200 years later.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Some of the emails exchanged between Epstein and Tisch appeared to show the two discussing women, in one instance in a rather explicit manner.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The start of the final round of women's curling round-robin matches will be delayed by 25 minutes, with World Curling confirming the snow in Cortina is causing delays for the teams to reach the venue.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Just days after our story ran, an internal memo was leaked from Audi confirming that the next-gen TT—the all-electric corporate cousin being developed on the same platform as the Porsches—is still on.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Council members Marc Whyte and Misty Spears opposed the move, contending that the city should not interfere with ICE’s work and doing so could result in lawsuits.—
Madison Iszler,
San Antonio Express-News,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Of all of the non-playoff teams, Baltimore is the closest to contending.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My entire career has been dedicated to fighting crime, upholding the law, and protecting Texans—experience no other candidate can match.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Such a marathon is not unlike long weeks spent on the road competing, constantly fighting jet lag, and navigating limited options for fueling meals ahead of game time.—
Kayla Blanton,
Outside,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The lengths to which users have gone to try to keep GPT-4o alive, whether by persuading the company to keep it online or by preserving it themselves, speak to the importance the chatbot has taken in the lives of some of its users, potentially because of the nature of human psychology.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In other words, if Warsh were to succeed in persuading his colleagues on the Board and FOMC in slimming down the Fed — something not at all sure given the limited power of the Chair — there would be difficult tradeoffs.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arguing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arguing. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
