1
as in competing
to engage in a contest
two traditional rivals contending for the championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of contending
Tonight's game is one of the biggest in the early going, as both teams have visions of going deep into the playoffs and contending for the Super Bowl this season.
—
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Fortunately for the Mets, most of the National League’s playoff-contending teams are flawed, too.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
The switch also gives Soriano the chance to pitch against the contending Mariners instead of the last-place Minnesota Twins.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Kavanaugh wrote in his concurrence that the plaintiffs likely lack standing to bring the legal challenge, contending the administration is likely to succeed in defeating the lawsuit.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
The Minnesota native was on his way to similar production the following year when he was traded to the Cup-contending Colorado Avalanche.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles Chargers Now would be a good time for Justin Herbert to take that leap into becoming a Super Bowl-contending quarterback.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Washington would be someone that contending teams are trying to add to their rotation.
—Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Ahead of the visit, Evers released a new analysis contending the bill would pass along $284 million in new costs to the state, primarily tied to administering new requirement tied to residents receiving food and Medicaid assistance.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Fortunately for the Mets, most of the National League’s playoff-contending teams are flawed, too.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
The switch also gives Soriano the chance to pitch against the contending Mariners instead of the last-place Minnesota Twins.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Kavanaugh wrote in his concurrence that the plaintiffs likely lack standing to bring the legal challenge, contending the administration is likely to succeed in defeating the lawsuit.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
The Minnesota native was on his way to similar production the following year when he was traded to the Cup-contending Colorado Avalanche.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles Chargers Now would be a good time for Justin Herbert to take that leap into becoming a Super Bowl-contending quarterback.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Washington would be someone that contending teams are trying to add to their rotation.
—Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Ahead of the visit, Evers released a new analysis contending the bill would pass along $284 million in new costs to the state, primarily tied to administering new requirement tied to residents receiving food and Medicaid assistance.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
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The system also demonstrated versatility by competing against another humanoid robot, maintaining consistent exchanges across multiple rallies.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
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In 2022, LeanIn reported that Black women are more ambitious than other women competing for available corporate roles.—
Gena Cox,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Who doesn’t have childhood memories of arguing about Boardwalk and Park Place until the popcorn bowl got knocked over during an evening of wholesome family entertainment?—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Sep. 2025
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In one video, a female student and the professor can be heard arguing over gender identity being taught in a children’s literature class.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine recently sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier this year.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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Twenty One Pilots filed a complaint Tuesday in California’s central district, alleging that Temu has infringed on its trademarks and engaged in unfair competition.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Earlier this year, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund proposed switching to semiannual reporting, reasoning that lengthening the time frame would allow companies to focus on the longer term.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
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In this task, intuition is reflected in whether people can suddenly sense connections between things without consciously reasoning them out.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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Instead of can’t-look-away infomercials, there are viral TikToks with users claiming that the devices can, like the once-buzzy weights, give your muscles more of a workout, allegedly burning more calories and aiding weight loss.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just as Lachlan is entrenched at Fox, at Paramount another scion, David Ellison, is asserting himself, preparing for what will likely be a decades-long run atop a legendary studio and the owner of CBS.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
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The administration contends the law is unconstitutional, asserting an expansive view of presidential power that could prompt the Supreme Court to overturn what remains of its 90-year-old precedent upholding such removal protections.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Flock denied wrongdoing, insisting the search was about a missing person.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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These policies effectively remove a ladder while insisting that older adults must climb it.—
Cal J. Halvorsen,
The Conversation,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Williams, also a clinical social worker, said people are turning to her organization for help and listeners are calling into a local radio program pleading for answers.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kirk's organization confirmed his death hours later, pleading for prayers for his family, which includes two young children.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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