CONTENTIONS Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

contentions

noun

plural of contention

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

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

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 contentions Many healthcare policy analysts disagree with these contentions about fraud, noting partisan politics have now become part of the dissemination of government reports. — Robert Applebaum, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, whose tenure brought team success and three World Series contentions, now faces significant scrutiny over his business practices. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 At the time, Sackler offered no response to these contentions. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026 The main contentions were the state not fully funding public schools according to the state’s funding formula and an additional $10 million to support the Missouri Scholars Program, which can go toward students in private schools. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026 The passing of time is the only thing that will reveal the veracity of their contentions and what some of the underlying numbers suggest regarding the quality of their at-bats not being reflected in their production. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentions

Noun

Dallas appellate attorney David Coale, who has handled appeals for decades, told CBS News Texas after the trial that Anthony's team could have several strong arguments over whether the trial was handled correctly.

— CBS Texas Staff, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Paul Schmidt, a Covington & Burling trial attorney representing Meta, contested O'Neill's arguments, and disputed the notion that Meta executives misled the public with their statements about child safety.

— Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of arguments

Noun

Across the globe, anti-gender campaigning is frequently tied to right-wing nationalism, white supremacy, and assertions of patriarchal power.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Whether the church’s assertions withstand analytic scrutiny is a different question.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of assertions

Noun

Tanger centers are places where family and friends can gather, our green spaces play host to everything from yoga classes to food truck rallies to high school battles of the bands.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Once in Korea, O’Hara worked with the Korean stunt team to refine the choreography even further, making battles out of the small-scale struggle of opening a door, of how characters could make it to the glass break outside.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

The models have to suss them out by taking actions in the game, seeing what happens, forming hypotheses, and then taking more actions to test those theories.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
Microsoft is already deploying autonomous threat-detection capabilities capable of continuously investigating incidents, developing hypotheses, gathering supporting evidence and identifying malicious activity that traditional processes can miss.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of hypotheses

Noun

Panettiere’s sudden death sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where the father of their child mourned the beloved actress and activist who battled a host of struggles.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
The movie's themes of addiction, redemption and spiritual transformation also prompted Sorbo to discuss his belief that some struggles can involve more than physical or psychological factors.

— Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

That definition appears designed to keep participating firms focused on criminal enterprises and out of interstate conflicts.

— Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Most conflicts between humans and bears are traced back to human food, garbage, pet food, bird seed, or other things that attract bears.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflicts

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contention

contentions

contentious

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“Contentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentions. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of contentions

noun

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