CONTEND WITH Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

contend (with)

verb

Definition of contend (with)

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

as in to oppose

to strive to reduce or eliminate medical missionaries who daily contend with disease and poverty

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend (with)

Verb

Quantum computing could eventually address 20-40% of emissions from sectors like steel and cement that are otherwise hard to abate, according to a report shared first with Semafor.

— Eugenia Perozo, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Current and former employees said Allen is largely an absentee leader who is combative and who put his workers in harm’s way by not acting sooner to address building concerns prior to a roof collapse last year.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of address

Verb

Activists who have opposed the closure said there has been no vehicle or pedestrian access to the building Wednesday.

— MATTHEW DALY, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
La Opinión grew during this period, strengthening its commitment to civic journalism by opposing Proposition 187 and promoting citizenship and immigrant rights.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of oppose

Verb

No side allowed their opponents more shots across the first two Premier League rounds of the season (44) than Newcastle, and Bournemouth managed another 17 on Saturday, 13 of them during the first half.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The Rockies, who managed just a walk through the first four innings, finished with 11 hits.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of manage

Verb

Brian would have to report back home to his louse of a father to fight or be branded a traitor.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
Though religious thinkers will fight fiercely to show one of the stories to be the one that religion really sanctions, each Abrahamic religion has signposts pointing both ways.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of fight

Verb

Having to balance coverage of this unimaginable tragedy with more typical Housewives scenes is a remarkably tricky balancing act, but one that the show handles well.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
The National Transportation Safety Board generally handles civilian aviation accidents, but the military investigates crashes involving its own aircraft.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of handle

Verb

Just this week the federal government adopted a new 10-point plan to combat Islamist terrorism.

— Anna Noryskiewicz, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
The Fed on Wednesday raised interest rates for the first time since July 2023 and indicated another hike could follow, as part of its effort aimed at combating inflation that has been stoked by spiraling oil prices, among other factors.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of combat

Verb

Posters are editing and manipulating the recordings to distort their content.

— Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
But even if the risks are merely bad—like hacking into a single financial institution or hospital, manipulating the stock market, or taking out an electrical grid—suing a company after the fact won’t really provide the outcome society wants.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

Yet political room for compromise within Canada remains limited, as the country actively takes steps to reduce its reliance on the US market.

— , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Pegula found her best tennis late, winning four straight games to take control after Navarro had broken her for a 2-1 lead in the third set.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 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)

content

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

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Synonyms of contend (with)

verb

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