contends (with)

verb

present tense third-person singular of contend (with)
1
as in addresses
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently a multitude of problems to contend with as soon as he returned to the office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposes
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 contends (with)
  1. addresses
  2. opposes
  3. manages
  4. fights
  5. handles
  6. combats
  7. manipulates
  8. counters
Verb
  • The infrastructure addresses a problem that emerged as Codex accelerated software development.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • In the vlog, a bleary-eyed Greene addresses the camera in the aftermath of her victory.
    — Fraser Godden, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of addresses
Verb
  • Pappas opposes raising the retirement age, cutting benefits, and privatization.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Moon in your sign opposes Saturn, bringing your needs into contact with another person’s conditions.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of opposes
Verb
  • This book manages to deliver on the promise of the jaunt without losing any of the rigor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Her lips were frosted with a sheen of seashell pink, which manages to be both wintry and summery at the same time.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of manages
Verb
  • In Season 4, which premiered last month, Dwight fights to legitimize his empire and protect his crew as corrupt politicians, dangerous new enemies, and a crushing personal loss hit from every direction.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The hormone also fights inflammation and acts as an antioxidant, says Lorenzon.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of fights
Verb
  • Cappu also operates out of Beijing and handles select releases in its home market and mainland China.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Northrop Grumman leads development of the three-stage solid-fuel missile, while Lockheed Martin handles its next-generation reentry vehicle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of handles
Verb
  • The Federal Reserve typically combats inflation by raising interest rates.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
  • FinCEN is the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which combats money laundering, illicit financial activities and terrorist financing networks around the world.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of combats
Verb
  • Researchers are still working out exactly how the parasite causes this change, but studies have found changes in proteins in the host’s brain as the parasite manipulates it.
    — Tara Deans, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026
  • In Kazan’s remake, Cathy craves power and freedom and manipulates the men in her life to achieve those goals.
    — Katie Gunderman, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of manipulates
Verb
  • The new filing counters new briefs submitted last month by the Department of Justice and Senators Richard Blumenthal and John Cornyn, which defended the HEAR Act.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Bertha counters with a grander affair to advance George’s business interests, setting up another showdown between old money and new.
    — Paul Chi, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of counters
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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contends
contends (with)
contend (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Contends (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contends%20%28with%29. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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