CONTENDED Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

contended

verb

past tense of contend

as in competed

to engage in a contest two traditional rivals contending for the championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

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 Some Democrats contended that the Justice Department greenlit the deal for political reasons, while warning that the Ellisons would steer CNN news coverage in a direction friendlier for the president. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 Blacknell contended that four different medical professionals treated Linton after the crash and none of them concluded the wreck was tied to a bipolar episode. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The business contended that the statute was vague and said that handwashing would qualify as a medical action under the act, according to the judge’s order. — Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026 At their joint trial, prosecutors contended that Merritt encouraged Fattore to kill Caleb and Bridget. — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026 In a presentation to commissioners, Coral Gables Assistant City Manager Carolina Vester contended the Underline’s operational costs have risen a head-spinning 2,400% from the initial estimates of the project’s inception nearly a decade ago. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 Penn State regularly contended for New Year’s Six bowls but lost the close, important games so often that fans braced for heartbreak. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 This competition is amplified by how little direct evidence is available, Xavier contended in a Nature comment. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026 This increase in work, the jury contended, was directly tied to Skains’ decision to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which determined Skains had the right to sue over the discrimination. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contended

Verb

Jedd Fisch inherited a Washington program in 2024 that had just competed for a national championship the season prior to his arrival, but had to replace almost 100% of the team's production from a year earlier.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Her directorial debut, Girl, competed for the Golden Lion at Venice in 2025 before earning her the Best Director award at the Busan International Film Festival.

— Ashleigh Nghiem, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of competed

Verb

Some economists argued that government attempts to intervene in the economy were doomed to fail.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Among the clues supporting an asteroid origin are mineral and chemical signatures identified in material collected from the region that researchers have argued are consistent with a stony or carbonaceous asteroid.

— Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of argued

Verb

Yet policymakers repeatedly insisted that Vietnam was the place where American credibility had to be demonstrated and established.

— Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
The comments drew swift condemnation from California leaders, even as the White House communications director, Steven Cheung, insisted the president’s remarks had been taken out of context.

— Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of insisted

Verb

The dispute deepens a rift between the two countries whose armies fought together against the TPLF during the 2020-2022 war.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
For three years, Bola Tinubu has fought to keep old FBI records tied to a 1990s Chicago drug probe about him sealed, hiring US lawyers to support the Justice Department in the fight.

— Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of fought

Verb

At Will Does Not Answer Every Question California’s at-will rule gives employers broad room to make personnel decisions, including decisions an employee may consider abrupt or poorly reasoned.

— William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
This, the perfectly decent people of Kettleborough reasoned, was a natural and godly rebuke for Susan and Cuthbert’s sin.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of reasoned

Verb

Regardless of these details, the results rather accurately reproduced the chaos in the brain so many researchers claimed psychedelics caused.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026
The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks earlier in the week on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed three Saudis, including a pilot.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of claimed

Verb

In Long Beach, with less than two hours before high tide, workers on the Peninsula raced early Sunday morning to build a sand berm stretching westward from 62nd Place.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Both the men’s and women’s Chicago Marathon winners raced to victory in the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 super shoe on Sunday as the German brand continued to dominate the season.

— Katie Abel, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of raced

Verb

His comments come after the NFL filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on Thursday, which supported New Jersey regulators and asserted that sports contracts on prediction markets fall under gambling and not financial swaps.

— Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
During the briefing, Vance asserted that these schools are improperly using J-1 visas, the main class of visa used by international postdocs, to bring in cheap labor rather than relying on domestic researchers.

— Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of asserted

Browse Nearby Words

contend

contended

contended (with)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contended. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of contended

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abscond

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes