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 Carr has contended that the FCC nonetheless has statutory authority to scrap the rule — a position that is likely to face legal pushback. — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026 The lawsuit also contended that Graves retaliated against former Police Capt. — Laura Bauer july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 In May, shortly after Comey’s indictment, Blanche—by then the acting Attorney General and angling to get the top spot on a permanent basis—contended that the government had more to go on than the single photo. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contended
  1. competed
  2. argued
  3. insisted
  4. fought
  5. reasoned
  6. claimed
  7. raced
  8. asserted
Verb
  • Hers is a spectacular rise — a list of remarkable achievements for someone who only started road cycling in the last few years, having previously competed nationally in duathlon (triathlon without the swimming).
    — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Over 160 sailing yachts are expected to participate in the five-day event, many of which have never competed before.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of competed
Verb
  • Some opponents of the merger have argued that the deal will effectively consolidate all of March Madness under one corporate umbrella and ultimately harm competition for college sports rights.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That’s why the oil market may be underpricing that risk, argued Tompkins.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of argued
Verb
  • Still, the billions of taxpayer dollars Congress has allocated for foreign aid programs must be spent; lawmakers have insisted the government continue to fund humanitarian aid, global health and pro-democracy causes around the world.
    — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But some House leaders insisted that the memorial be built on Capitol Hill, two miles to the east, since Lincoln had preserved the Union and worked closely with Congress during the Civil War.
    — Jennifer Tucker, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of insisted
Verb
  • The rival gangs fought and retaliated against each other both before and after Shakur's death.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Families and staff fought the plan for months, worried that the closures would disproportionately affect minority, low-income and special education students and harm all students’ academic and social well-being.
    — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of fought
Verb
  • Cousins reasoned that whether an MMR counts as an associated entity is not an automatic yes or no.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • If so many people were already riding their bikes as scooters, the designers reasoned, why not give them the benefits of a true scooter experience while still staying within the legal definition of a bicycle?
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoned
Verb
  • Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed an attack on Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery Sunday, a major crude oil refinery located on the Red Sea coast in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
    — Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The groups have claimed migrants without documents are contributing to South Africa's high unemployment rate by taking jobs, while also putting pressure on public services.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • In the 34th minute, Murphy launched a long ball in the path of forward Sammy Smith who raced past multiple defenders and finished it for the 1-0 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • In the Var, a fire declared fixed earlier in the week had raced back across the hills within hours on Friday.
    — Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of raced
Verb
  • The prosecution has asserted that Lindsay's controlling nature as a mother was a motive in the killings.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Under Democratic Chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC asserted authority to change any aspect of the cap.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 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 10 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of contended for Spanish Speakers

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