contend

verb

kən-ˈtend How to pronounce contend (audio)
Definition of contendnext
1
as in to compete
to engage in a contest two traditional rivals contending for the championship

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2
as in to argue
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration contended that the senator's considerable experience made him the best candidate

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3
as in to insist
to state as a fact usually forcefully contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything

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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 contend While some contend the Heat acted with too much haste in extending Nikola Jovic, there seems to be enough there with Pelle to avoid the risk of dealing with free agency. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 But soon after, Defending Education, a national conservative advocacy group filed a complaint with the Education Department, contending that students of all races struggle in Chicago schools. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Summary This article contends that inflation management is not, and never has been, the Federal Reserve's core responsibility. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Some interpreters contend that the many gods are manifestations of the singular transcendent divine. — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
  1. compete
  2. argue
  3. insist
  4. reason
  5. allege
  6. plead
  7. claim
  8. assert
Verb
  • Room for Disagreement Some Democrats were worried less about their individual candidates or the DCCC’s ability to compete, and more about the Democratic National Committee’s ability to help candidates in tight raises.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • With his size and ability, Alexander started his senior season as a top-100 prospect and is competing to be in the top-50 conversation.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of compete
Verb
  • One controversial second of game clock later, Michigan fans were swarming the field to celebrate a Hail Mary that many impartial observers argued shouldn’t have happened.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Gates argued that government and civil society need to move much more quickly.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of argue
Verb
  • His comments forced Downing Street to insist that Britain would not yield sovereignty over the Falklands.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Yet Na also insists on treating his aliens as objects of contemplation and pathos—reflections of our own misshapen humanity.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of insist
Verb
  • An organization that can't see what its own people know can't reason from it or build on it, and ends up making the same mistakes in three places at once.
    — Panos Siozos, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • China is betting big on humanoid robots, which the nation’s technology leaders see as key agents in the race to artificial general intelligence (AGI) – an AI system with human-level ability to reason and act.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of reason
Verb
  • Additionally, the party alleged Tupone ran as a Green candidate to siphon votes from Brooks.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Lyft also doesn’t fingerprint its drivers unless required by law and doesn’t provide adequate background checks, the lawsuit alleged.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of allege
Verb
  • In Arizona last year, 35-year-old Robb Hintzsche pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree murder in a crash that killed a Lyft driver, her passenger and the passenger’s dog in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Per the publication, Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
    — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of plead
Verb
  • The imposition of the tariffs stemmed from a breakdown in negotiations between the two countries in August, with each claiming the other side had unreasonable requests that would be detrimental to their respective country’s workers.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Developers, meanwhile, have made off with nearly all the old parking garages, odd lots, and historic buildings that haven’t yet been claimed by hedge funders like Steve Cohen.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of claim
Verb
  • The item asserted that some Medicare and Medicaid cancer patients wait longer for treatment than those with private insurance.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The report asserts flatly that Zucker wasn’t truthful and danced around the same accusation regarding Ballmer.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of assert

Phrases Containing contend

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contemptuousness
contend
contended
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Cite this Entry

“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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