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
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Guests experienced the unexpected pairing of CHEETOS FLAMIN’ HOT and dill pickle through product sampling, custom cocktails, fan-favorite arcade games, karaoke battles, and a high-energy dancefloor soundtracked by Loud Luxury’s signature mashups.—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
17 Mar. 2026
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Understandably, some gamers may be skeptical or even alarmed, given the ethical issues and legal battles surrounding generative AI.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
17 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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Romantasy books blend the best of both the fantasy and romance genres, delivering high-stakes political conflicts, endless action and plot twists, and, of course, swoon-worthy love.—
De Elizabeth,
Glamour,
17 Mar. 2026
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Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless.—
Gayle Rogers,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
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That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentions. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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