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
Hernandez disagreed, contending department officials walk over them.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
18 June 2026
The Swede's game should fit this difficult track, but contending or not will rely on what is going on between the ears.
—
Mark Harris Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
The film directed by Peter Schnall and Cyndee Readdean is contending for Emmy nominations in multiple categories.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
Dubas doesn’t want to trade him, but contending teams have wanted Rust for years and still do.
—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
In a conversation moderated by IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill, the artists broke down the biggest and smallest choices that went into some of our favorite Emmy-contending shows of the year.
—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
The Knicks became a championship-contending team by mixing the right ingredients with selfless stars, effective role players, smart coaching and a resilient attitude.
—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Today, quickly putting himself in a contending position.
—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
But the Senate Democratic Caucus isn’t united behind him, and his series of stumbles has some in the party contending that Collins’ defeat is no longer a prerequisite to winning the majority.
—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
10 June 2026
City News Service,
Daily News,
18 June 2026
The Swede's game should fit this difficult track, but contending or not will rely on what is going on between the ears.
—
Mark Harris Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
The film directed by Peter Schnall and Cyndee Readdean is contending for Emmy nominations in multiple categories.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
Dubas doesn’t want to trade him, but contending teams have wanted Rust for years and still do.
—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
In a conversation moderated by IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill, the artists broke down the biggest and smallest choices that went into some of our favorite Emmy-contending shows of the year.
—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
The Knicks became a championship-contending team by mixing the right ingredients with selfless stars, effective role players, smart coaching and a resilient attitude.
—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Today, quickly putting himself in a contending position.
—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
But the Senate Democratic Caucus isn’t united behind him, and his series of stumbles has some in the party contending that Collins’ defeat is no longer a prerequisite to winning the majority.
—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
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Louicius Deedson — the only player from Atlanta competing in this World Cup — was coming home.
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Collectors are competing for works with scarcity, exceptional provenance, and a clear place in art history.
Verb
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Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, officials are pausing data center development for one year, with vocal neighbors arguing that the risk posed by a controversial project outweigh the threat of litigation.
-
President Donald Trump‘s first-term Attorney General Bill Barr is making an aggressive public push for Senate Republicans to confirm Todd Blanche as the nation’s next attorney general, arguing the president’s acting Justice Department chief is the best person to lead the department.
Verb
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The lawsuit filed by the families names Wilburn, Riverside County, and the cities of Beaumont and Calimesa as defendants, alleging the intersection was dangerously designed and maintained, with inadequate sight lines caused by roadway geometry, vegetation and utility equipment.
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The group sued to block the probe, alleging the agency was violating its First Amendment rights.
Verb
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Betani was the sole vote against appointing Vaccaro, reasoning that voters should be the ones to make this decision in November.
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Folding laundry, loading dishwashers, cleaning kitchens, and navigating cluttered homes require many of the same perception, manipulation, and reasoning capabilities that would eventually allow robots to operate independently on a battlefield.
Verb
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Sina Azodi, director of George Washington University’s Middle East studies program, noted Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are an issue for Iran while the US could possibly interpret Tehran claiming to close the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the memorandum of understanding.
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South African and Malawian authorities have been coordinating in recent weeks to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of Malawian citizens gathered at the site in Durban, claiming to flee anti-migrant tensions and fears of violence.
Verb
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Legal expert Richard Schoenstein said by asserting the psychiatric defense, Mangione would effectively admit to killing Thompson with mitigating circumstances.
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The pair defended the measure’s stricter voting thresholds as a necessary check on government power, asserting that taxpayers deserve the ultimate say at the ballot box before taking on new financial burdens.
Verb
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At a March 30 public meeting of the school board, Morrow acknowledged these mistakes, insisting that the books would be returned to the shelves while a review committee, which the board would appoint, considered their fate.
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Of course, the Bucks likely recognized as much, as well, insisting the cost for Giannis include Kasparas.
Verb
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She was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty last year to one count of fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits and one count of mail fraud.
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He was also sentenced to life imprisonment in Missouri after pleading guilty to five counts of murder.
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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