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
Kirton, Schulman and Hurston contended that the charter requires a separate referendum for an expense so large.
—
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
The Democrats contended in the lawsuit that the denial violated laws allowing access by legislators to correctional institutions.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
The Democrats contended in the lawsuit the denial violated laws allowing access by legislators to correctional institutions.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
This time, the group contended that San Diego’s supplemental analysis of the visual and neighborhood character impacts of taller buildings, prepared in advance of the 2022 ballot measure, disregarded other consequential environmental factors.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
The motion contended that prosecutors lack the authority to determine the order in which cases are tried and did not present any factual basis for the court to decide which case should proceed first.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025
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
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
The Democrats contended in the lawsuit that the denial violated laws allowing access by legislators to correctional institutions.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
The Democrats contended in the lawsuit the denial violated laws allowing access by legislators to correctional institutions.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
This time, the group contended that San Diego’s supplemental analysis of the visual and neighborhood character impacts of taller buildings, prepared in advance of the 2022 ballot measure, disregarded other consequential environmental factors.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
The motion contended that prosecutors lack the authority to determine the order in which cases are tried and did not present any factual basis for the court to decide which case should proceed first.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025
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
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
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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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But the department has argued the sheer volume of documents that need to be found, uploaded, reviewed, redacted and published has forced it to instead release the files online on a rolling basis, with a series of enormous document dumps over the course of several days in mid-December.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Skelton argued that the city’s code lays out a specific process for declaring an animal as dangerous, which often entails a day in municipal court.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In interviews, Rubio insisted that Washington will use control of Venezuela’s oil industry to force policy changes, and called its current government illegitimate.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has insisted that Rodríguez must play by the United States’ rules.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Firefighters fought the fire both inside and outside the house, and additional firefighters went inside to search for people.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
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And neither do the AI-skeptics who fought the hardest for it.—
Julie Samuels,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bush’s thinking was even less reasoned.—
Caleb Pomeroy,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2025
-
The best clues, Clay reasoned, were things like context and sentence structure.—
David Owen,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Russia said the attack was retaliation for what Moscow claimed was a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence last month.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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As the Ole Miss football team tried to win its national semifinal, the women's basketball team claimed one of the biggest wins in school history.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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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Several times during the hearing, Helland asserted that student activists who had their visas revoked were targeted not just for speech but for alleged links to violent groups or for allegedly being disruptive on campus.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Barrett also found that Perplexity, another popular AI service, similarly asserted that the military operation had not occurred.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contended. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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