1
2
as in argued
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 insisted
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 contended
In its court filings Friday, the administration contended that the judge had usurped both legislative and executive authority.
—
Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
The only absolute, Einstein contended, was the speed of light in a vacuum.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
The mayor-elect's proposals stem from his democratic socialist beliefs, which have come under fire from not only Republicans but also from some centrist Democrats such as Cuomo, who contended his proposals were unachievable.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2025
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
Caroline Turco, a lawyer representing Portland, said during opening arguments that the evidence would show that the city does not need the National Guard, while the government contended that Congress endowed the president with vast latitude to decide when calling in the troops is warranted.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 29 Oct. 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
Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
The only absolute, Einstein contended, was the speed of light in a vacuum.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
The mayor-elect's proposals stem from his democratic socialist beliefs, which have come under fire from not only Republicans but also from some centrist Democrats such as Cuomo, who contended his proposals were unachievable.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2025
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
Caroline Turco, a lawyer representing Portland, said during opening arguments that the evidence would show that the city does not need the National Guard, while the government contended that Congress endowed the president with vast latitude to decide when calling in the troops is warranted.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 29 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contended
Verb
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Of the eight entrants into the contest, four had competed in it before.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The elder Sisniega competed in modern pentathlon and was a flag bearer at the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Cotton argued the shutdown’s cause was not the expiring health care subsidies, but rather Democrats’ fear of blowback from their supporters.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Nardin argued for a change in the mindset that automatically favors large-scale production of a single product.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Again, Shamblin messaged, this time removing the mention of the gun; again, the bot insisted a human was coming.—
Adam Carlson,
PEOPLE,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Lima insisted that the public backs a tougher stance and that the vast majority of favela residents supported the operation.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Players fought, fought, fought, gave us every chance in the world.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Germany and France fought centuries of bloody wars before becoming the bedrock of the European Union.—
Jon Medved,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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If Newman couldn’t have killed Scott, the police reasoned, perhaps his brother had.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
-
Schyler Dethorne raced 68-yards for a TD and Belton tallied scoring runs of six and 52-yards, as Alvarado held a 28-3 lead after the opening quarter.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Much of CoreWeave’s utility has come from offering readily available compute as those companies raced to scale up their own operations.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Stars asserted dominion over their kingdom, their names airbrushed on walls (Bow Wow) and etched into marble floors (Missy Elliott).—
Kim Hew-Low,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
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The settlement agreement also includes a provision that Sholes pay an existing medical lien asserted by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contended. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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