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

Relevance

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 The Flames and head coach Jamey Chadwell should be back to contending in Conference USA, led by transfer running backs Kam Davis (Florida State) and Kanye Udoh (Arizona State). — Justin Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Another group of scholars eventually refuted the claims in 2023, contending the ring had no connection to anyone named Pilate. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026 But soon after, Defending Education, a national conservative advocacy group filed a complaint with the Education Department, contending that students of all races struggle in Chicago schools. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 The sparkling personality of Israa lights up One in a Million, the Oscar-contending documentary that won two awards at Sundance, including the directing award for Itab Azzam and Jack Macinnes. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 Kiley turned the criticism around, contending that his willingness to work with both parties was a strength. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Honeywell will now try to craft some similar moments with a contending Padres team. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The commission decided to require the regulatory language, contending such language is needed to make the policies in the plan enforceable under the state’s Coastal Act. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 Her absence — along with DNPs from multiple key Liberty starters — contributed to a contending team entering Thursday in a three-way tie for sixth place in league standings. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending

Verb

Espino told the assembly’s budget committee that fewer than 10 percent of the canal’s daily transits are auctioned, meaning most ships are not competing in an auction for passage.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
For Denver metro area buyers, that leaves the decision to purchase in a market where borrowing costs, home prices, and the overall cost of living are all competing factors.

— Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of competing

Verb

Ohanian said the debate around AI should focus on substantive risks rather than issues that can be used to score political points, arguing that an informed public is essential to navigating the technology.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
The state attorney general's office asked the high court to let the execution proceed, arguing nothing precludes the switch to lethal injection.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of arguing

Verb

More complaints stem from congressional map fight Hoskins is facing two other lawsuits filed in the past week by voters alleging they were harmed by Hoskins actions.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
Yabloko was struck off only days after being registered for the election after a pro-Kremlin nationalist party, Rodina (Motherland in Russian), brought a lawsuit against the party alleging foreign financing and copyright violations.

— Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of alleging

Verb

Backwards reasoning like this reminds me of Adlai Stevenson’s presidential campaign 70 years ago.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
In an interview, Colin Marshall, an ethics professor and author of a new book on persuasion, argues that ethical persuasion begins with treating people as reasoning partners rather than psychological systems to be managed.

— Eben Harrell, Harvard Business Review, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of reasoning

Verb

After a stabbing in Southport, England, in 2024, viral posts falsely claiming that the suspect was a Muslim and an undocumented migrant spread rapidly to millions via X and other platforms, inflaming the riots that ensued.

— Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
Communications can change how a brand is understood without claiming sole responsibility for every commercial result that follows.

— Julia Ruttner, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of claiming

Verb

On Tuesday, Zuckerberg echoed Huang's stance in a post on X, asserting that an industry-wide emergency brake is unnecessary and that third-party evaluations represent the optimal path forward.

— , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, the Amazon Essentials Loafer Flats have earned more than 9,000 five-star reviews from shoppers impressed by their packability and versatility, asserting loafers’ spot as one of fall’s ‘it’ travel shoes.

— Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

South African leaders reject Washington’s accusations, arguing land expropriation and affirmative action measures seek to repair apartheid-era injustices and insisting the United States respect the country’s sovereignty and policy choices.

— Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Authorities have shown little interest in such fiscal stimulus, however, insisting instead that a long-term shift to high-tech sectors will power the economy.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of insisting

Verb

Following its conclusion, Mark Salling (Puck) was determined to have died by suicide in January 2018, several months after pleading guilty to charges associated with possession of child pornography.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2026
Instead, last Friday, Bommeli accepted a last-minute plea deal, pleading no contest to a lesser charge of manslaughter, desecration of a human corpse and possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction.

— Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026