contended

past tense of contend
1
as in competed
to engage in a contest two traditional rivals contending for the championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 contended Supporters have contended that clips of the speech, including one shared by DHS from MEMRI, were edited in a way that misrepresented his intent. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025 That will be followed by Study 02 next year featuring different hardware using stainless steel with 18-karat gold plating sourced from China, where Canadas contended hardware technology surpasses European alternatives. Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025 O’Brien contended that only the chair can designate an acting chair, and that her designation of Roy as acting chair the day before her suspension was ignored. State House News Service, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025 The brief contended that the state law used to convict Artiles was unconstitutionally vague. Jim Saunders, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025 This time, the environmental advocacy group contended that San Diego’s supplemental analysis of the visual impacts of taller buildings, prepared in advance of the 2022 ballot measure, disregarded other consequential environmental factors. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025 But Boyd, the sheriff’s office spokesperson, contended at the time that when calculated by the total number of people booked in annually, the county’s number is lower than the national rate. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025 The former general, McGinn, contended that the simplest solution to the immediate problem is for Congress to pass a continuing resolution and negotiate a full-year defense spending bill. Davis Winkie, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025 Supporting them in the Supreme Court Wednesday, Deputy Solicitor General Hashim Mooppan contended that the Black voters should not have gotten a second majority-minority district. Nina Totenberg, NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contended
Verb
  • Rogan has competitive experience but has not competed professionally.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The last beauty queen to represent Haiti at Miss Universe was Mideline Phelizor, who competed in 2022 on behalf of Port-au-Prince and placed in the Top 16.
    Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When its army entered Gaza in late 1956, the Israeli government argued that national security interests required it to control the Strip.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The issue of filing deadlines wasn't argued before the Supreme Court, nor the circuit court, Wood said.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Negotiations remain deadlocked over health care funding, which Democrats have insisted must be addressed in any deal to reopen the government.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Yet Fulton County officials have still insisted the ballots could not be copied or released.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The event was the latest public honoring of North Korean troops who fought in Russia to repel an incursion by Ukrainian forces.
    Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
  • In his remarks, Sures saluted his late father, who fought in Israel’s War of Independence in 1948.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Herodotus reasoned that had Helen in fact been within the walls of Troy instead of in Egypt, the Trojans would surely have surrendered her to the Greeks rather than allow their city to be destroyed.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • If Newman couldn’t have killed Scott, the police reasoned, perhaps his brother had.
    Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sam Altman, of OpenAI, has claimed that generative AI could bring about the end of human civilization, and that AI poses a risk of extinction on a par with nuclear warfare and global pandemics.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In his lawsuit, Vianello claimed that the local ordinance that allowed the city to issue nearly $30 million in general obligation bonds to fund the construction and renovations violates the Kansas Constitution and statutory requirements for a bond election.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Brands raced to expand through new stores and soaring stock keeping units — using quantity as the main measure of success.
    Li Jun, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2025
  • When Quentin Grimes appeared to have an open fast-break dunk, González raced across the court to foul him at the rim.
    Jay King, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But Wirth asserted those groups are not true environmental organizations and stand to gain financially from the project.
    Chaewon Chung Updated October 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Most of the facts asserted in Respondent's RFO were known at that time.
    Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contended. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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