1
2
as in argues
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 alleges
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 contends
Ideas expressed in the piece The article argues that the glee over Tom Steyer’s loss in the California governor’s race reflects a broader, understandable anger at extreme wealth in an era of serf‑lord–level inequality, but contends that this anger is being misdirected at the wrong billionaire.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Müller contends that support for the referendum is motivated less by xenophobia than people’s concern that the population is growing at an uncontrolled rate.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Environmental activist group Save RGV (for Rio Grande Valley) contends the company's rocket launches have left nearby homes covered in debris, disrupted native wildlife and harmed air quality.
—Maya Blackstone, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Newsom also contends that he was first notified of two of the donations after the filing deadline had already passed, according to the decision.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
The suit contends the race ended when Grossman’s vehicle struck brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander, ages 11 and 8, in a crosswalk at about 80 mph in a 45 mph zone.
—City News Service, Daily News, 10 June 2026
The government contends that because people are free NOT to give their location data to their tech provider, the data that the tech company does have must be turned over to police pursuant to a warrant.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 June 2026
The brief contends that the court, which halted the fund temporarily in May, should uphold its block.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 4 June 2026
The other contends that appointments leave judges beholden to politicians, and says voters should have a voice.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Müller contends that support for the referendum is motivated less by xenophobia than people’s concern that the population is growing at an uncontrolled rate.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Environmental activist group Save RGV (for Rio Grande Valley) contends the company's rocket launches have left nearby homes covered in debris, disrupted native wildlife and harmed air quality.
—Maya Blackstone, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Newsom also contends that he was first notified of two of the donations after the filing deadline had already passed, according to the decision.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
The suit contends the race ended when Grossman’s vehicle struck brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander, ages 11 and 8, in a crosswalk at about 80 mph in a 45 mph zone.
—City News Service, Daily News, 10 June 2026
The government contends that because people are free NOT to give their location data to their tech provider, the data that the tech company does have must be turned over to police pursuant to a warrant.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 June 2026
The brief contends that the court, which halted the fund temporarily in May, should uphold its block.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 4 June 2026
The other contends that appointments leave judges beholden to politicians, and says voters should have a voice.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contends
Verb
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Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and OnBuy CEO Cas Paton are pitching this as a pure, transparent marketplace where the operator never competes with its own sellers.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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Bezos founded Blue Origin, a rocket startup that competes with Elon Musk's SpaceX for government contracts and satellite launch missions.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Cutting rates won’t help declining labor rates if AI and immigration are the true culprits, Swonk argues.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
11 Dec. 2025
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The newsroom meets, debates, and argues.—
Sam Jacobs,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The government alleges the couple made about $244,550 off their trading scheme.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
11 Dec. 2025
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The lawsuit alleges that after receiving more than two dozen drinks from crew members, the man became disoriented and agitated while trying to find his room.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Likewise, the Big 12 asserts that while Judge Curry’s court order bars the NCAA from disqualifying Sorsby, Texas Tech must still follow conference rules.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
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While much of the displacement is driven by settlers who build outposts on Palestinian land, the report asserts that the process could not occur without the support of the government.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Ukraine, which says it has been let down by previous security assurances from allies, insists that guarantees are ratified in parliament.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
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These simmering resentments, along with standard NHS protocol and the need to kick the story into gear, help explain why Liz chooses to call social services when Jess unconvincingly insists her infant daughter Betsey simply fell down while crawling.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit, filed on Saturday in the Central District of California, claims that the supermodel turned media personality participated in a 3½-hour interview, of which about 16 minutes was used.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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The account may remain frozen temporarily A bank generally won't immediately reverse a freeze simply because the account holder claims a mistake was made.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contends. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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