contending (with)

verb

present participle of contend (with)
1
as in addressing
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently a multitude of problems to contend with as soon as he returned to the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposing
to strive to reduce or eliminate medical missionaries who daily contend with disease and poverty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending (with)
  1. addressing
  2. opposing
  3. handling
  4. fighting
  5. managing
  6. combating
  7. manipulating
  8. taking
Verb
  • Unflinching, the documentary does not shy away from addressing the critics’ panning of much of McCartney’s solo work, the murder of John Lennon, his brief stint in a Japanese prison and his bold choice to sue the Beatles.
    — Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026
  • For longtime Lodi residents like Gena Brentt, addressing those problems is an investment in the community's future.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of addressing
Verb
  • With the Moon in your sign opposing Venus in your partnership zone, affection could feel wonderful one minute and intrusive the next.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But the speedy Caballero has gotten some starts at third even when righties are opposing the Yankees lately, so that might be a moot point.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of opposing
Verb
  • For people outside of these sensitive groups, handling a receipt is probably a very low-risk activity.
    — Sean McCann, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Equipped with custom tactile grippers for handling automotive components, the robot boasts 56 total degrees of freedom.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of handling
Verb
  • Yemeni government forces – backed by Saudi airstrikes and a blockade of Houthi areas – started fighting the Houthis more than a decade ago.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Tigray Peace Force is fighting alongside federal troops against the TPLF.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of fighting
Verb
  • Keeping her husband happy yet oblivious—managing his baby fever with staged fake miscarriages—only goes so far when Martha begins suffering an inexplicable illness that culminates in an impossible pregnancy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The office of the CFO can spend less time managing work and more time interpreting information and making decisions that improve business performance.
    — Ari Widlansky, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of managing
Verb
  • The inability to collect tax revenue limits what Haiti can spend on combating poverty.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For the rest of the twentieth century, America’s role in combatting Fascism helped define its national identity.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of combating
Verb
  • Present-day police work reflects our current economic order by placing a high value on manipulating such immaterialities.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • According to Treasury, Galeano had been detained in the United States in 2017 on suspicion of manipulating ATMs and was found with drugs and backpacks containing a large amount of cash.
    — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of manipulating
Verb
  • Pittsburgh Penguins player Andrei Kuzmenko returned to the team on Friday after taking some time in the wake of his father's tragic death in a bear attack last month in Siberia.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Officers were seen placing several people in handcuffs and taking them away after the shooting.
    — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of taking
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.

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contending
contending (with)
contends
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Cite this Entry

“Contending (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending%20%28with%29. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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