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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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 Following an afternoon event in Cicero with other members of the Democratic ticket, Pritzker contended that Democrats don’t need to hold the Michigan seat to win control of the Senate. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 The administration contends that the Justice Department and the US Department of Education need years of applicant-level admissions data to determine whether race remains a factor in Harvard’s admissions decisions. — CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026 If the Big Ten was resting their hopes on Ohio State being able to put together an offense capable of contending for a national championship, then Saturday night's 30-18 loss to USC was a reality check on the current situation. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026 Gaytan and some other legal experts contend that the latter designation — broadband internet access — could include data centers. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 1 Nov. 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
  • The competing signals leave the region facing an uncertain military outlook.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Although the businesses competed in different contests, their recognition highlights the support local establishments can receive from their communities.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of compete
Verb
  • The plaintiffs argued that Trump’s order exceeds his presidential authority and violates the Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Privacy Act.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • If El-Sayed loses, there will be a fight over blame between Democrats who spent tens of millions of dollars to support him and progressives who’ll argue that the party establishment can’t be trusted when leftist candidates win a nomination.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of argue
Verb
  • Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined around 20 other countries and the European Commission in a declaration insisting that AI remain under human control.
    — Stephen Pitt-Walker, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • While the case settled, Fairey had insisted his artistic transformation of an Associated Press photograph constituted fair use.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of insist
Verb
  • That clue and the cross on the coffin led the researchers to reason that the skeleton probably belonged to an important man, most likely the abbot of Westminster.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Biggs reasoned Ford should have known her failure to include the student-athlete eligibility warning put her in the wrong.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of reason
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleged that the facility violated the state's minimum wage and forced labor laws by paying detainees $1 a day to work at the facility, sometimes under threat of solitary confinement.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • OpenAI faces several lawsuits from state AGs and plaintiff attorneys, taking cues from the social media suits in alleging that the design of ChatGPT can pose risks to children.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of allege
Verb
  • The incident comes just months after the mom of three pleaded guilty to a separate DWI charge and agreed to serve 20 months of probation.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The man who pleaded guilty to murdering a 63-year-old woman outside her Arlington apartment in March 2025 has been sentenced to 85 years in prison, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of plead
Verb
  • That figure is separate from the 5-to-6-hectare area claimed for the dispersal warhead tested on Monday.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The one-time head of Ayiti 2054, the political party Sanon claimed to be a member of, Désir was arrested Wednesday outside his law office in Petion-Ville, according to his Haiti lawyer.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of claim
Verb
  • Black asserts that the statements made by Garcia are false and that traveling to appear on national television to make such statements about the inquiry into Epstein’s crimes goes beyond the purview of a member of Congress.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Those statements were false and were made maliciously, Black asserts through his lawyers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of assert

Phrases Containing contend

Browse Nearby Words

contemptuousness
contend
contended
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All