Definition of argumentnext
1
2
as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act gave a solid argument for the redeeming value of the shockingly violent movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
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as in contention
an idea or opinion that is put forth in a discussion or debate it's my argument that we have too many problems here on earth to concern ourselves with manned trips to Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 argument Much of the argument in the coming months for or against a cap will have to do with whether or not the players feel they are advantaged or disadvantaged by a cap. — Alex Sherman, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026 In the decision penned by Judge Carolyn McHugh, the three-judge panel knocked down the plaintiff argument that all Division I players, regardless of sport, formed a single market. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026 The prosecution planned to mention Perry in its opening argument, but agreed to drop a reference to the singer after submissions from Brand’s lawyers. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026 This is an argument over how AI doomerism is impacting our world, our business, our governments and how doomerism is wrong and preventing some of the best of what is to come. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for argument
Recent Examples of Synonyms for argument
Noun
  • Heemeyer owned a muffler shop in the town and had been engaged in a long-running series of property and zoning disputes with local authorities.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Having been through the NBA and NFL lockouts of 2011 and other labor disputes, McKenzie recalled just how much of a rush there can be on supplementing income if paychecks don’t resume.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The results offer another explanation for the sustainability value-behavior gap, the disconnect between consumers’ environmental priorities and their purchasing decisions.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In truth, while these factors all play a part in shaping policy, the real explanation is far simpler.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • National governments will already be looking at their aviation authority regulations and frameworks and there will be discussions at the European and global level, John Edwards, senior consultant at Gates Aviation in London, said by phone.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Zelensky’s comments in an interview aired late Thursday followed two days of discussions among allies in Brussels that focused on postwar security and reconstruction.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Both candidates won their primaries in landslides, but Tuberville’s involved some contention.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The rapid development of data centers throughout Pennsylvania communities has also been a topic of contention among voters and political candidates ahead of Election Day.
    — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • In the first incident, a 47-year-old man was stabbed multiple times in the upper body during a quarrel with his killer outside a Bronx homeless shelter on Sedgwick Ave.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • When a quarrel over an inheritance revives old hostilities, their relationship comes under pressure from greed and treachery in a conflict not of their making.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Officials, for example, have not explained whether Young’s administrative leave was related to allegations against him personally, his supervisory responsibilities or another reason.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Catalan capital has been a popular destination for decades, and with good reason.
    — Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Build lasting centers for constitutional study and serious debate.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Put owners at the center of research, public debate and policy, and measure whether business success is improving their lives.
    — Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Johnson’s sunny assertions that Republicans would defy history in the midterms, as voters traditionally have punished the president’s party in power, failed to hold.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • As a most un-saintlike Mother Teresa, Dueñas gives voice to a seething, inconsolable fury, an assertion of pure, ferocious will, that exposes the preciousness of Ambrossi and Calvo’s poetic and structural conceits.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Argument.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/argument. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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