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
Relevance
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)
Verb
-
The White House offer does not address several of the Democrats' top priorities, including requiring judicial warrants to enter private properties and barring agents from wearing masks, which obscures identities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026 -
Congress regulating the surrogacy industry, Lucci argued, is one way to address these threats.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The best way to oppose the hanging of these posters is to study the arguments the state made in favor of them.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The Kansas branch of the National Education Association opposed legislation prohibiting elementary students from using computers or tablets at all.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yet Iran has still managed to halt the flow of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about a fifth of the world’s oil.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But for those who qualify, the long-term tax-free growth and withdrawal flexibility typically outweigh the absence of an immediate deduction — especially for someone already managing a complex retirement income picture.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But is everyone really fighting in this scenario?—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Michael Loria The war with Iran has sparked fighting throughout the Middle East, including in Lebanon where Israel and Iran ally Hezbollah have been fighting intermittently for generations.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Potential battlefield roles include surveillance, logistics support, and handling hazardous materials during military missions.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Afghanistan's vast poppy fields have been the source of much of the world's heroin, which in combination with decades of conflict and widespread poverty has fueled drug addiction that the country's government has vowed to combat.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
In his latest attempt to combat contraband at the Fulton County Jail, Sheriff Patrick Labat is fighting fire with fire.—
Rosie Manins,
AJC.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Research shows that abusers will threaten, harm or kill a beloved companion animal to manipulate and control the people who love them.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
To avoid detection by streaming platforms, Smith spread his automated, manipulated streams across thousands of different songs, knowing that concentrating streams on a single track would be flagged, according to the federal prosecutor’s office.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Advice columnist Carolyn Hax takes your comments and questions most Fridays about life, family, relationships and more.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Fashion Month took us all over the globe, where weather patterns were seemingly different in every city.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
17 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Contend (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend%20%28with%29. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
