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
Before then, Jackie Wiles will look to get Team USA's other main medal-contending pairing off to a strong start.
—
Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
The Mitchell Institute additionally contends that the Air Force should ultimately field a bomber fleet of roughly 300 aircraft.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Town staff was supposed to be keeping unauthorized people out of the pool, but failed to do so, the suit contends.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Several of the association’s board members contend that since the townhome association is a not-for-profit corporation, the townhome association is not subject to the terms and requirements of the Common Interest Community Association Act (CICAA).
—Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contend
Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
The Mitchell Institute additionally contends that the Air Force should ultimately field a bomber fleet of roughly 300 aircraft.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Town staff was supposed to be keeping unauthorized people out of the pool, but failed to do so, the suit contends.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Several of the association’s board members contend that since the townhome association is a not-for-profit corporation, the townhome association is not subject to the terms and requirements of the Common Interest Community Association Act (CICAA).
—Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
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Then a week later, Heraskevych received a wave of sympathetic support when he was forced out of the skeleton for refusing to compete without a helmet adorned with more than 20 elite Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed in the war.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Nearly 2,900 athletes from more than 90 national Olympic committees are competing at the Winter Games across 116 medal events across eight sports.—
Lee Ying Shan,Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, some rank-and-file Democrats are still floating the idea of funding everything except ICE and Customs and Border Protection, arguing those agencies are already funded and should be isolated from other key government functions.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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Vedam’s supporters believe investigators fixated on him as the lone suspect at the expense of other legitimate leads, arguing that his ethnicity played a role in how authorities homed in on him in the early days of the case and at trial.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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World models allow systems to build a task specific representation of reality, allowing systems to reason over what matters instead of recomputing understanding from scratch at every step.—
Abhas Ricky,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thousands of immigrants are currently being detained in large detention centers where detainees, lawyers and activists have alleged abuse and poor conditions.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Bally’s ultimately scrapped the minority requirements in April 2025 and refiled the IPO following federal lawsuits alleging the offering discriminated against white men.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Colin Gray, the father of Colt Gray, has pleaded not guilty to nearly 30 charges, including two counts each of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Epstein, who cultivated relationships with many rich and powerful men and women, pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to state criminal charges related to soliciting prostitution, with one charge related to a girl under the age of 18.—
Lola Murti,Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Aljorna, the affidavit claimed, hit a light pole before fleeing from the car, with an ICE agent chasing him on foot toward the home.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Call 1-800-955-6886 to schedule an appointment to claim your prize.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Daily News has a duty to verify facts asserted in op-eds.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
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In a January 16 court filing supporting criminal charges against the two men, the DOJ asserted Aljorna was the one driving the vehicle.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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