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
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
Just look at the other contending teams right now, some of them much better bets to win it all at this point than the Knicks are, and with good reason.
—
Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Maria Hadden, 49th, on Wednesday wrote an email to her colleagues contending the mayor’s office wants contributions to certain aldermanic staffers’ pensions to come out of their ward expense accounts, according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by the Tribune.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Position battles Spring ball is a perfect time to get an early read on how new transfers are acclimating to their new team and contending in position battles that brought them to the U in the first place.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 2026
At the end of last season, perhaps only the most optimistic of observers (and the Wizards’ front office and coaching staff) could have envisioned Sarr developing into a potential top-three player on a contending team.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The school sued, contending that its methods were legitimate, and the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in its favor.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The long list of names contending for California governor is a source of growing anxiety among state Democrats.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Wild proved their commitment to contending this season by signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension — the richest deal in league history.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The Blue Jays have a contending roster, and Jimenez was a small part of that last year when the team made the World Series — albeit a small part of it.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Maria Hadden, 49th, on Wednesday wrote an email to her colleagues contending the mayor’s office wants contributions to certain aldermanic staffers’ pensions to come out of their ward expense accounts, according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by the Tribune.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Position battles Spring ball is a perfect time to get an early read on how new transfers are acclimating to their new team and contending in position battles that brought them to the U in the first place.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 2026
At the end of last season, perhaps only the most optimistic of observers (and the Wizards’ front office and coaching staff) could have envisioned Sarr developing into a potential top-three player on a contending team.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The school sued, contending that its methods were legitimate, and the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in its favor.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The long list of names contending for California governor is a source of growing anxiety among state Democrats.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Wild proved their commitment to contending this season by signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension — the richest deal in league history.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The Blue Jays have a contending roster, and Jimenez was a small part of that last year when the team made the World Series — albeit a small part of it.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
-
Biles celebrated Owens' birthday from Japan while competing in the Tokyo Olympics, sharing a series of photos to Instagram alongside a sweet caption.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Our guys were excited, competing hard.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For tariffs that have been liquidated within 180 days, importers can also file a protest, which is a formal challenge with the CBP arguing that an error was made in assessing duties, such as the tariff rate applied to an import.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The estate is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, funeral expenses, attorney's fees, and other relief, arguing that multiple parties share responsibility for Avery's death under Georgia law because their actions combined to cause a single fatal outcome.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cher is again seeking a conservatorship over her son Elijah Blue Allman, alleging that his drug addiction has severely affected his mental health and led to mounting debt.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
-
One count directed at Baldwin, alleging assault, was dropped.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Dai stressed that the company was less focused on creating media and more interested in reasoning capabilities.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Key Takeaways Spring cleaning helps improve cognitive skills like planning, organization, and reasoning by using your executive skills.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The law also allows private citizens to file suit, claiming the government was defrauded and to keep a portion of any money the federal government recovers.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Guzman is also accused of preparing and filing false tax returns for her and her spouse claiming wages from MAFC and the withholding of federal taxes.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Managing those concerns has required a delicate balance between asserting priorities while setting a high bar for direct involvement.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Williams has sued unsuccessfully, though not asserting the constitutional claim made by McCaughey.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So far, Díaz-Canel and Cuban diplomats have drawn a red line, insisting that the government will not make political concessions.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Trump removed the image from his Truth Social site while insisting he was depicted as a doctor, not Jesus.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The mass trial began Tuesday, with many suspects pleading guilty to charges brought against them by the Nigerian government.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Jones’ sister could be heard in the footage pleading with police not to shoot him.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
