1
as in arguments
an idea or opinion that is put forth in a discussion or debate
my contention is that today's lower batting averages are the result of better pitching
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
several actresses seem to be in heated contention for the title of "worst dressed"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contentions
An administration official would make a claim about what happened, and later evidence would find these contentions to be misleading.
—
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
However, the reality is that peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US and Europe are clearly stalled, if at worse dead with many contentions from both sides surrounding security concerns and, importantly, trade sanctions.
—Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
However, the reality is that peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US and Europe are clearly stalled, if at worse dead with many contentions from both sides surrounding security concerns and, importantly, trade sanctions.
—Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentions
Noun
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Armed with those arguments and others, Staples and Beaulac traveled to Washington recently to make their case against the SOB Act with lawmakers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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In Monday’s closing arguments, Ye’s attorney, Andrew Cherlaskey, refuted reportage that his client had fallen asleep during his testimony.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Despite long-standing rivalries among senior Iranian politicians — many of whom hold powerful political positions and control significant economic resources — these factions quickly set aside their differences and pledged loyalty to him.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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So many of these issues are driven by issues of governance, economic competition, and various regional rivalries, which sometimes play out through proxy groups.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The allegations included assertions that votes had been counted more than once and that large numbers of votes had been cast by deceased people.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
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The referendum contains a ban on hotels and lodging at the beach, which guarantees that, despite the opposition’s assertions, the beach will never be privatized.—
Betty Resch,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Comfort battles formality fighting to break free.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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For example, one recent night, the room between Cardboard Corner Café and TableTop was set up for Warhammer, where enthusiasts collect, build, and paint miniatures, and fight strategic tabletop battles.—
Debra Skodack,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Police are looking at several hypotheses.—
Omer Bekin,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
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The competing hypotheses, which seek to identify common traits between Little Foot and any of these species, highlight why the fossil continues to be such a rich resource of information that could contain clues to human evolution.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In a briefing with reporters earlier, a Meta legal spokesperson said the company didn't believe that youth mental health struggles, both broadly and with Kaley specifically, could be solved through litigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
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While the film’s production struggles have come under scrutiny, the trailer gives a taster of the Saudi Arabia’s stunning backdrops as well as its cinema ambitions.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The president noted that past military conflicts have dogged his predecessors, mentioning former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iran hostage crisis.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Geopolitical conflicts and economic tensions this year have sparked a new wave of interest in gold as an investment.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Suddenly the idea of people getting into viral confrontations and talking about Karens and all that was part of the zeitgeist.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
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To understand how federal agents are using various Department of Homeland Security surveillance tools in real time, NPR collected dozens of accounts — through interviews and court documents — describing confrontations with federal immigration officers in recent months.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentions. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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