1
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
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Recent Examples of contend
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks need to see if this group has any chance of contending in the East, with the mood sure to change depending on the answer to that question.
—
Sam Amick, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
But Brown contends that the conference needs to worry more about promoting high-profile players/potential lottery picks.
—Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025
Richland, however, has the firepower to contend for the district title.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
But counselor Kaley Chiles contends that the law controls her free speech with patients to restrict certain views on LGBTQ rights.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Sam Amick, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
But Brown contends that the conference needs to worry more about promoting high-profile players/potential lottery picks.
—Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025
Richland, however, has the firepower to contend for the district title.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
But counselor Kaley Chiles contends that the law controls her free speech with patients to restrict certain views on LGBTQ rights.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
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His sons, who compete as The Usos and Solo Sikoa, as well as his nephew Roman Reigns, have continued his legacy as central figures in WWE.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
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Dolce Vita Notice Sneakers Colorful sneakers aren’t going anywhere, and these bold lavender and orange kicks from Dolce Vita are an easy gateway into the trend with a far more manageable price point than other competing options.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Though the resentencing hearing would still proceed, Hochman’s office would argue against it in court.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
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The weapon system would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory and put the sort of pressure on Putin that Zelenskyy argues is needed to get the Russians to seriously engage in peace talks.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Though the industry is bracing for an EV sales slump, GM's leaders insist that investing deeply and early in a broad range of electric offerings was not a mistake.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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The Republican speaker insists his party has been willing to discuss the health care issue with Democrats this fall, before the subsidies expire at the end of the year.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Whether giving many people a lot of false beliefs is harmless depends of course on the content of the beliefs and the more general impact on people’s ability to reason about matters that can impact their wellbeing.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
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If Newman couldn’t have killed Scott, the police reasoned, perhaps his brother had.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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State and local officials are investigating a Seattle-area corrections department after a whistleblower alleged the county was hiring unqualified immigrants as guards, according to a complaint filed with Washington state authorities.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
12 Oct. 2025
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The precise fraud alleged, however, was a surprise.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to all charges.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
14 Oct. 2025
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Taiyana Tipton pleaded guilty to first degree murder in March and was given a life sentence.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the memoir, Federline claimed that he was awarded $20,000 per month in child support for their two sons.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Could the novel claim the title of the first Canadian novel when Canada wasn’t even Canada yet?—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What those 15,000 or so fair-weather fans missed was the Broncos (4-2, 2-0) asserting themselves in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 41-25 Mountain West win over the Lobos (3-3, 0-2), who for much of the night were like a gnat the home team couldn’t swat away.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Oct. 2025
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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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