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
His extraordinary journey from utter isolation to human connection is revealed in the Oscar-contending documentary Ghost Boy, directed by Rodney Ascher (Room 237, A Glitch in the Matrix), winner of the Audience Award at SXSW in the Visions category.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
But the tariffs spooked American businesses, prompting a court challenge, contending that the president had exceeded his authority in imposing the tariffs.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Spotify also refuted that the program only helps major label artists, contending that the feature is popular among both major and independent acts.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
While Skenes' early years are apparently being wasted in a Pittsburgh organization that refuses to spend money to create a playoff-contending roster around him, the Pirates could build from within to create a strong team a few years down the road by stockpiling top prospects, Rymer argued.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Baseball as a whole has never been more prosperous even as lower payroll teams are having a harder and harder time contending for a championship.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025
One of the Super Bowl contending teams who could be active at the deadline is the Buffalo Bills.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
There were no matchups between favorites, no major upsets and minimal notable injuries among contending teams.
—Scott Phillips, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
The Mid-City district requested a delay, contending the proposal was an improper attempt by the mayor’s office to take funds away from neighborhood leaders.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
But the tariffs spooked American businesses, prompting a court challenge, contending that the president had exceeded his authority in imposing the tariffs.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Spotify also refuted that the program only helps major label artists, contending that the feature is popular among both major and independent acts.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
While Skenes' early years are apparently being wasted in a Pittsburgh organization that refuses to spend money to create a playoff-contending roster around him, the Pirates could build from within to create a strong team a few years down the road by stockpiling top prospects, Rymer argued.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Baseball as a whole has never been more prosperous even as lower payroll teams are having a harder and harder time contending for a championship.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025
One of the Super Bowl contending teams who could be active at the deadline is the Buffalo Bills.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
There were no matchups between favorites, no major upsets and minimal notable injuries among contending teams.
—Scott Phillips, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
The Mid-City district requested a delay, contending the proposal was an improper attempt by the mayor’s office to take funds away from neighborhood leaders.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
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Artists right behind Lamar include Lady Gaga, with seven nominations, and Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter with six nominations — with all four artists competing in each of the album, record and song of the year categories.—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
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In fact, a 2024 British Journal of Sports Medicine study funded in part by the IOC found that trans women athletes may face several disadvantages when competing with cisgender women, such as less lower body strength and a lower maximum rate of oxygen consumption than both cis women and cis men.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Wolff sued then, arguing that her claims were the latest of several attempts by the Trumps to bury reporting about their history with the disgraced financier.—
Graph Massara,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Several pension funds have come out against the package, arguing that the board of directors is too beholden to Musk, his behavior too reckless lately and the riches offered too much.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit also accuses the MD-11 model and its CF-6 engines of having a troubling safety history, alleging that the aircraft has been linked to multiple catastrophic failures and ranks among the least reliable commercial planes still in service.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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Last month, Berry’s family filed a lawsuit against the city of Sacramento and RT alleging wrongful death alleging the agency neglected to ensure the safety of their passengers.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The other offering is Project Eluna, an agentic AI system—designed to act with a degree of autonomy, reasoning through complex operational situations and recommending actions to operators.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Oct. 2025
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Clearly, the cost arguments haven’t been persuasive, with people reasoning the slightly higher costs are worth the improved treatment of farm animals.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Second, the large amplitudes of the gravitational waves needed to generate the events that Weber was claiming a detection of would provide more energy than could possibly cosmically exist in any-and-all forms of radiation combined; the Universe as a whole ruled his interpretation out.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Nov. 2025
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Orbán, however, denied this, claiming that the Croatian government would need to enlarge the pipeline to meet Hungary’s needs.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Clark’s delivery was confident, polished and emotionally resonant — drawing clear comparisons to early-2000s country stars while asserting her place as a rising voice in the genre.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
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The demonstrators, some wielding bats, appeared to be asserting the jurisdiction of the Edo people’s ceremonial king, Oba Ewuare II, over the region’s cultural patrimony.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There’s nothing anti-tech about insisting that invention and fairness coexist.—
Gerard Scimeca,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
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Several tech players are already constructing private energy plants for their own use as part of their data center buildouts, so there is nothing radical about Democrats insisting on tying approvals for data centers to bearing the cost of enhancing the public grid.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The bank drew headlines that year after pleading guilty in a Tampa court to laundering the Medellin cartel’s drug money.—
Deena Sabry,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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The following year, he was suspended from baseball and sentenced to probation after pleading no contest to charges of cocaine possession and soliciting a prostitute.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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