CONTENDING Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

contending

verb

present participle of contend

as in competing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in arguing

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 alleging

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 contending The Oscar-contending documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem, directed by David Greaves from footage shot by his late father, William Greaves, has earned the eighth annual Library Of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026 Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey A pregnant Kaley Cuoco picks the perfect pink gown to showcase her baby bump alongside fiancé Tom Pelphrey, who is contending for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026 Not a contending roster by any means, but a worthy NBA League Pass team. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Grossman said one employee got her charges dismissed after contending in a lawsuit that her 4th Amendment rights were violated. — Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Grossman said one employee got her charges dismissed after contending in a lawsuit that her Fourth Amendment rights were violated. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 Specter is unpersuaded by that stance, contending that staffing is within the county’s control and not a valid reason for exemption from the stipulation. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 Under his direction, Scott is an instant contender in the best actor race, and Stone may be up for some contending himself. — Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026 Another group of scholars eventually refuted the claims in 2023, contending the ring had no connection to anyone named Pilate. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending

Verb

Espino told the assembly’s budget committee that fewer than 10 percent of the canal’s daily transits are auctioned, meaning most ships are not competing in an auction for passage.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
For Denver metro area buyers, that leaves the decision to purchase in a market where borrowing costs, home prices, and the overall cost of living are all competing factors.

— Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of competing

Verb

Ohanian said the debate around AI should focus on substantive risks rather than issues that can be used to score political points, arguing that an informed public is essential to navigating the technology.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
The state attorney general's office asked the high court to let the execution proceed, arguing nothing precludes the switch to lethal injection.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of arguing

Verb

More complaints stem from congressional map fight Hoskins is facing two other lawsuits filed in the past week by voters alleging they were harmed by Hoskins actions.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
Yabloko was struck off only days after being registered for the election after a pro-Kremlin nationalist party, Rodina (Motherland in Russian), brought a lawsuit against the party alleging foreign financing and copyright violations.

— Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of alleging

Verb

Backwards reasoning like this reminds me of Adlai Stevenson’s presidential campaign 70 years ago.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
In an interview, Colin Marshall, an ethics professor and author of a new book on persuasion, argues that ethical persuasion begins with treating people as reasoning partners rather than psychological systems to be managed.

— Eben Harrell, Harvard Business Review, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of reasoning

Verb

The following day, all three outlets reported that their journalists had been denied access to the White House grounds, with MS NOW and Politico claiming press passes had been confiscated.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
More than 70 people who bought, used or were recorded with Meta’s smart glasses have sued the social media giant, claiming their intimate and sensitive images were exposed to workers abroad who are paid to review and label photos and videos.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of claiming

Verb

On Tuesday, Zuckerberg echoed Huang's stance in a post on X, asserting that an industry-wide emergency brake is unnecessary and that third-party evaluations represent the optimal path forward.

— , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, the Amazon Essentials Loafer Flats have earned more than 9,000 five-star reviews from shoppers impressed by their packability and versatility, asserting loafers’ spot as one of fall’s ‘it’ travel shoes.

— Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

South African leaders reject Washington’s accusations, arguing land expropriation and affirmative action measures seek to repair apartheid-era injustices and insisting the United States respect the country’s sovereignty and policy choices.

— Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Authorities have shown little interest in such fiscal stimulus, however, insisting instead that a long-term shift to high-tech sectors will power the economy.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of insisting

Verb

After pleading guilty, Ashford was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only nine months and five years' probation upon release, authorities said.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The filings say that the state offered Taylor 234 months in prison for pleading guilty to one count of second-degree unintentional murder.

— Aki Nace, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026