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 In December 2021, however, the DOL under the Biden administration issued a supplemental statement, contending that most plan fiduciaries were not suited to evaluate alternative investments, given their complexity and high risk. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026 But if Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Spain at Audi Field was any indication, the Americans still have a ways to go before contending for their fifth World Cup title. — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 Manufacturers in Bangladesh have been calling for a greater say in how the system operates, contending that the present RSC structure is slowing down remediation and increasing costs. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Bailey’s team initially tried knocking Corbett out of the race, with Bailey’s running mate, Aaron Del Mar, co-filing an objection contending his onetime political ally hadn’t collected the 25,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Through the season’s first two weeks, any thoughts of the Falcons contending for a playoff spot appeared delusional and all conversations appeared moot. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Mancuso filed a $45 million breach-of-contract suit, contending that he’d been fired, and later settled for as much as $20 million. — Richard Natale, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 The win brings Houston to 1-1 in conference play and keeps their hopes of contending in the Big 12 alive. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 General manager Jon Horst and coach Taylor Jenkins emphasized that the Bucks are not rebuilding but rather building toward their next contending team. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending

Verb

Two former prime ministers under Macron, Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, are in the race; Philippe is competing with Mélenchon for second place, while Attal trails both.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
In the Actors’ Playhouse production, directed by David Arisco, its competing forces find expression in the performances, the costumes, choreography and even the arrangement of the set.

— Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of competing

Verb

By arguing for the necessity of the chains of deportation today, Vance makes an eerily similar case.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Good luck enforcing Potemkin guarantees from hyperscalers or arguing that local protests excuse a construction delay that blew a hole in the financing.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of arguing

Verb

On September 16th, a woman identified only as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she had been gang-raped nearly two years earlier, in October, 2024, in the alumni room at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University.

— Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing HailgateA2 LLC and its owner after several people filed complaints alleging they were scammed out of tickets and memorabilia related to University of Michigan events.

— DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of alleging

Verb

Yet rather than reasoning inductively to know God – through starting with an assessment of mortal man – a more effective approach is instead to reason deductively.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
Republicans saw all this coming from a mile away, of course, spending huge sums to help Cornyn defeat Paxton in the primary, reasoning that the general election would be a relative layup for Cornyn.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of reasoning

Verb

Moriarty's office said rejection killings are a form of femicide in which women are targeted for asserting autonomy over their bodies.

— Jason Rantala, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Trump is accustomed to asserting the primacy of force over law and clearly anticipates no punishment for doing so in front of a body dedicated to saving humanity from the scourge of war.

— Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

Stay flexible instead of insisting everyone stick to the script.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Ironically, the organization has previously objected to certain uses of AI in schools, insisting that AI must remain under human supervision and cannot replace teachers in core instruction or grading.

— Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of insisting

Verb

Hispanic voters are pleading for a candidate who will listen to them, solve their problems and connect with them.

— Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
The verdicts followed a month-long trial that included testimony about one victim pleading for his life before the killings.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026