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
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
Tucker is likely to be the most coveted available player in the sport with any number of contending teams competing to sign him.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 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
By virtue of Seattle’s location, the Mariners always have a challenging travel schedule, but the back-to-back lengthy East Coast trips during the dog days of summer are an extra grind that no contending team should have to deal with.
—Jim Bowden, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.
—Associated Pess, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.
—Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
There are a couple distinctly different ways to build a contending major league baseball club.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Tucker is likely to be the most coveted available player in the sport with any number of contending teams competing to sign him.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 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
By virtue of Seattle’s location, the Mariners always have a challenging travel schedule, but the back-to-back lengthy East Coast trips during the dog days of summer are an extra grind that no contending team should have to deal with.
—Jim Bowden, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.
—Associated Pess, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.
—Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
There are a couple distinctly different ways to build a contending major league baseball club.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
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Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz heads to quarterfinals Tuesday as the last American competing in the men’s singles tournament.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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The Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate introduced competing plans to restrict student phone use.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the conclusion of the state's case Wednesday, the defense moved to have the case dismissed, arguing the state had failed to prove its case.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
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However, a Minnesota court struck down the binary trigger ban, arguing that the legislature violated the state constitution’s single-subject clause by burying the ban inside a sprawling spending bill.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Production on the star's prior film, Being Mortal, was suspended by Searchlight Pictures in 2022 after a staffer filed a complaint against actor Bill Murray, alleging inappropriate behavior.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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The decision to stop the flow of money led Harvard to file suit in federal court in Boston, alleging constitutional and statutory violations.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This opens the door for reasoning agents to coordinate across domains with shared context.—
Carl Moberg,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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ChatGPT shows us how far along their chatbot is in reasoning through our question and delivering an answer.—
Alex Mayyasi,
HubSpot,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Real estate experts say claiming primary residences on different mortgages at the same time is often legal and rarely prosecuted.—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
6 Sep. 2025
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The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has filed a lawsuit suit against the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) and its CEO Stephen Edwards, claiming the parties sought to implement semi-automated cranes at the port without consulting the union first.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While the Caravan were representing the Southland well out of state, Lincoln-Way East was asserting its dominance back in Illinois.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal said as much in late July, asserting that Okunlola — a former five-star recruit — could start at any ACC school.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And any candidate—left, right, or center—who forgets that will fail, because Black voters are insisting that our priorities come first.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Agba refused, insisting the child was hers, according to the report.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some detainees say they have been left pleading for more food and water.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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Abrego's lawyers have said the administration is trying to coerce him into pleading guilty.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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