contend (with)

verb

Definition of contend (with)next
1
as in to address
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently a multitude of problems to contend with as soon as he returned to the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate medical missionaries who daily contend with disease and poverty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend (with)
  1. address
  2. oppose
  3. manage
  4. fight
  5. handle
  6. combat
  7. manipulate
  8. take
Verb
  • For example, my team and I designed a survivorship clinic at UPMC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to address the most common issues head and neck cancer survivors experience.
    — Marci Lee Nilsen, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Employees form a small team, select a non-profit, and begin work on addressing the community challenge.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of address
Verb
  • Les Républicains has ostensibly opposed Macron for years but cooperated regularly on areas of overlapping interests, such as economic policy.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The 6-foot-9 forward who signed a veteran minimum contract showed willingness to pick up opposing ball-handlers full court.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of oppose
Verb
  • For younger consumers who have always managed much of their lives through apps, these experiences often feel like different versions of the same activity.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Separate nozzles also don't solve the problems of bonding incompatible materials or managing different printing temperatures.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • The rebels urged their forces to continue fighting and called on Tigrayans to support them.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • North Korean engineers have learned from time spent working in Russia’s massive Yelabuga drone factory, and North Korean forces fighting alongside Russia have gained firsthand experience in integrating drones into modern combat.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fight
Verb
  • Seventy-one percent also doubt that his village cooperatives policy—which plans to establish hubs in roughly 80,000 communities to handle basic-goods distribution, savings, and other rural services—would succeed.
    — Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The case remains under investigation and is being handled by the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Division, according to Arcadia police.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of handle
Verb
  • In August, the health board designated a $250,000 fund for rat abatement — so far the only public money in Idaho specifically earmarked to combat the nuisance.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The deaths came as Indonesia intensified efforts to combat forest and land fires that have worsened this year as El Niño intensifies a prolonged dry season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of combat
Verb
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the Pentagon has not manipulated the service.
    — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Without that provenance, the agent can’t reliably distinguish current operational truth from stale, incomplete or manipulated information.
    — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of manipulate
Verb
  • In a statement posted to Facebook, the Wichita Police Department asked anyone with video of the incident to upload it so investigators could take a look.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to the return of her property, Omar's attorneys are demanding that the Justice Department preserve any audio and video that was taken during the search, according to the letter.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of take
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.

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contends (with)
contend (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Contend (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend%20%28with%29. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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