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

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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 As the trade deadline approaches, though, contending teams will surely be calling the Red Sox about Chapman. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Meanwhile, James floated the idea publicly about ending his career in Cleveland and publicly praised the LA Rams for dealing draft picks to ensure a Super Bowl-contending team. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Coastal Commission staff objected to city proposals to more aggressively shorten hours at many of the 35 affected lots, contending that would restrict coastal access too much. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2026 Despite having started second and third with hopes of contending for victory, both lost ground as the race wore on; Hamilton finished fifth and Leclerc eighth. — Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 28 June 2026 Critics also have challenged the report’s characterization of cases involving women, contending these were consensual affairs that were sinful but not abusive. — ABC News, 25 June 2026 In the special, Arcuri tackles topics like marital pranks and urinal mind games while contending, on the more serious side, with his wife Katie Thurston’s cancer journey. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 June 2026 The company hopes the effort allows for more large-scale audiobook productions to emerge, contending that AI allows for more immersive audio experiences that traditional publishers would find too expensive. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 23 June 2026 But now that the Sox are contending, and starting a big series Monday against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field, his in-game strategy will no doubt get more scrutiny. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending

Verb

The 2026 edition of The Championships, Wimbledon features the world’s top players from across the globe competing for titles in men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
For now, the reasons behind Machado’s failed attempts to return remain the subject of competing narratives.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026

Definition of competing

Verb

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was ejected by plate umpire Willie Traynor for arguing a balk call against Jose Cabrera (0-2) that put runners on second and third with one out in the fifth.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
The situation began to change when the novelist Stewart O’Nan published an influential essay in the Boston Review in 1999, arguing for Yates as a canonical American author.

— Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026

Definition of arguing

Verb

Apple leveled major allegations against OpenAI and some of its staffers Friday, alleging the ChatGPT maker systematically directed current and former Apple employees to bring secret information over to OpenAI.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2026
But in May, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI was considering legal action against Apple, potentially alleging breach of contract over claims that Apple had not sufficiently integrated and promoted OpenAI’s products across its devices.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of alleging

Verb

The second is reasoning intelligence, the layer that looks at a task, breaks it into steps and figures out how to do it, including things like making a judgement call on whether an object will be heavy or light.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Vitello seemed to understand Devers’ reasoning for wanting to stay in the game but also knew that Devers was battling some leg soreness.

— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Definition of reasoning

Verb

Also requested were documents related to a lawsuit, recently settled for $135,000, claiming Kramer had given an improper assessment of a property and retaliated against an employee who complained.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
In December, former employee Joshua Denton sued the brewery, claiming management ignored years of warnings about OSHA safety violations, did not comply with ADA regulations and wrongfully terminated him.

— Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

Definition of claiming

Verb

Before Sajet stepped down, the Smithsonian released a statement asserting that only its secretary and board can make such decisions, not the president.

— Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 July 2026
The next issue on appeal was whether Alston and Chee should have been awarded their attorney fees incurred in asserting their HUPEPA special motion.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

The tabloid publisher repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that its journalists reported their stories using legitimate sources and asserted the cases had been brought too late.

— Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
So thank you, Taylor, for the gift of your stories, and for insisting on being an authentic voice in a world where the line between real and fake is increasingly blurry.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026

Definition of insisting

Verb

In the series premiere of Netflix’s Vladimir, Rachel Weisz awakens from troubled sleep to a cascade of texts, sighs deeply, and addresses the camera with pleading eyes.

— Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026
He was convicted in Lincoln County Superior Court on June 30, after pleading guilty, officials said.

— Mark Price July 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026