contended

verb

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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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

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 The lawsuit also contended that Graves retaliated against former Police Capt. — Laura Bauer july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 The former five-star recruit never seriously contended for a starting job there, what with Mario Cristobal bringing in Bo Nix before Thompson’s second season. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 24 July 2026 In that case, New York Attorney General Letitia James contended that promoting an unapproved treatment – one that medical studies have found to be dangerous – could violate state consumer fraud laws. — Lucinda M. Finley, The Conversation, 24 July 2026 Crump contended there was no reason for the police to chase Ruiz in the first place. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 July 2026 The researchers contended that overall compliance with legal reporting requirements was weak and regulatory oversight is lacking. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 July 2026 The Texas Comptroller should be someone who acts non-partisanly, Eckhardt contended. — Rachel Royster july 22, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026 Cruz contended the Senate bill can’t wait for the lame duck — or even worse, the next Congress. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 July 2026 Gunn contended, with call logs as evidence, that there was a nearly five-minute delay in the request for an ambulance to the officer, an allegation that was staunchly denied by the town of Chesterton. — Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contended
  1. competed
  2. argued
  3. insisted
  4. fought
  5. reasoned
  6. claimed
  7. raced
  8. asserted
Verb
  • In addition to her acting work, Hottle was an athlete and competed on Texas School for the Deaf’s track-and-field team.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 21 July 2026
  • When Messi was introduced, applause competed with the silence of fans raising their phones.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of competed
Verb
  • The Republican senator’s office argued that Marshall later advocated for that money to be spent in Kansas after voting against the legislation.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • Jeffrey Baldwin, who founded an advocacy group after fighting his own foreclosure battle, argued a complaint system without enforcement powers would do little to help homeowners facing disputes.
    — Nora O'Neill July 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 July 2026
Definition of argued
Verb
  • Iran has insisted on a role in managing traffic through the strait.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The team—Paul Gompers, George Hu, Will Levinson and Sachin Srivastava—set out to test something Wall Street recruiters have long insisted anecdotally, namely that being a college athlete is a hiring edge.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of insisted
Verb
  • Rhodes went for the Figure Four, but Punk fought out and tried a GTS.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • And in Florida, the longest war the United States government fought was with Black maroons called Seminoles.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of fought
Verb
  • Expanding the draws would give more players more opportunities to win career-changing prize money, but Kermode reasoned that the extra days would make the 1000 events look less like Grand Slams, not more, according to the people.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Given the cerebellum’s importance to language processing, memory and other cognitive functions, the 2018 study’s authors reasoned that this neuroanatomical difference might have given modern humans the upper hand.
    — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 20 July 2026
Definition of reasoned
Verb
  • Unless Washington provides another naval destroyer, he will be forced to choose defense of the United States over Israel, the report claimed, as the Iran war has put a strain on Washington’s military arsenal.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Echoing Turkey’s justifications for its contentious S-400 acquisition completed the year before, which led a ban from the F-35 program and CAATSA sanctions slapped on Ankara, Iraqi officials claimed America offered no viable alternative.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • Huffy, a brand once dismissed by some but historically durable and even Olympic-raced, has successfully reinvented itself in the e-bike market.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Right fielder Wilyer Abreu raced home, tying the game at 4-4.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of raced
Verb
  • In addition, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has repeatedly asserted that inflation needs to be lower to hit the FOMC’s targets, perhaps implying a need for higher interest rates to achieve that.
    — Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Fauci has asserted that the scientific evidence points to a spillover — whereby the virus would have found its way from an animal into its first human host, and then spread at that point from human to human.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 27 July 2026
Definition of asserted

Browse Nearby Words

contend
contended
contended (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Contended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contended. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of contended for Spanish Speakers

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