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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

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

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 contend In District 4-5A Division I, undefeated squads Wyatt and Heights are expected to contend. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026 Critics contend that the 250-foot-tall monument, which would be nearly 100 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, would obstruct historic views and interfere with the privacy of military funerals at nearby Arlington National Cemetery. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Sep. 2026 Garzón contends that his client wasn’t even in Massachusetts when the protest took place, but was in Atlanta, Georgia. — Muhammad Darwish, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 The lawsuit contends that Roper and the Kipps are two among possibly hundreds of patients who have been affected. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 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
  • Concerns about military readiness, workforce shortages, rising health care costs, affordability, and America’s ability to compete in an increasingly challenging world seem to play on a loop without any sign of progress.
    — Stanley McChrystal, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Taurus April 20 – May 20 Your need for comfort may compete with someone else’s desire for greater closeness.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of compete
Verb
  • Supporters of the plan, led by the Swiss People's Party, which includes members with pro-Russia leanings, argued that the government had gravitated too close to the European Union and NATO, particularly over Russia's war in Ukraine.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Lula, meanwhile, has argued for a more prominent role of the federal government in the fight against organized crime as well as greater coordination between governmental institutions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of argue
Verb
  • Rather than insisting that these whales continue with their life, which is a human decision, perhaps they should be allowed to die gracefully and respectfully on their own.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Cage solved my next problem by insisting that the way to discover new things is to overcome our dependence on our likes and dislikes, those supposed pillars of criticism.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of insist
Verb
  • Backwards reasoning like this reminds me of Adlai Stevenson’s presidential campaign 70 years ago.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Forcing Riyadh back to that table Perhaps the most important factor, however, is that the Houthis reasoned conditions on the ground were increasingly favorable for an offensive.
    — Mahad D. Darar, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of reason
Verb
  • State police alleged that Betacourt was uncooperative and refused to comply with commands.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Kaepernick alleged that team owners colluded to keep him out of the league because of his protest and filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, which ultimately ended in a settlement.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of allege
Verb
  • Norman was sentenced to death in December 2008 after pleading guilty to capital murder.
    — MICHAEL GRACZYK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Peters, who was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm in public, eventually pleaded no contest and agreed to six months probation and 20 hours of community service as part of a plea deal.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of plead
Verb
  • People would claim the Saver’s Match with a new Form 8880-A when filing their 2027 tax return in 2028, according to the IRS.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Former employees claim that officials at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, opted not to undertake repairs of leaks in the building’s roof overhangs months ago.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of claim
Verb
  • The government’s resources, Marset’s legal team asserts, would have been better spent pursuing other targets.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The fund asserted in its letter that a potential strategic buyer of the entire company could subsequently divest assets, shifting the execution risk of such sales away from Devon holders.
    — David Faber, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of assert

Phrases Containing contend

Browse Nearby Words

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 30 Sep. 2026.

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