1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
the Tartars were a contentious people who terrorized much of Asia and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversial
given to arguing
a tiresomely contentious person who likes to argue for the sake of arguing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in difficult
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions
gun control is likely to be a contentious subject in any group discussion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contentious
And yet, Goldman finds himself in the midst of what has turned into an ugly, contentious battle for his political life.
—
Paxton Honerkamp,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
The debate about the order, which is expected to affect around 95,000 California employees, has remained contentious.
—
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
After ’95 Nebraska is when Stew’s list gets contentious.
—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving modes have been contentious features in some Tesla vehicles since their debut.
—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contentious
Paxton Honerkamp,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
The debate about the order, which is expected to affect around 95,000 California employees, has remained contentious.
—
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
After ’95 Nebraska is when Stew’s list gets contentious.
—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving modes have been contentious features in some Tesla vehicles since their debut.
—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentious
Adjective
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Grey-zone tactics refer to a range of aggressive tactics that vary from navy ship patrols to drone flights, but fall short of direct combat.
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That will be decided in the coming hours, as the Heat remains in aggressive pursuit of a trade for Antetokounmpo.
Adjective
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In a controversial move, the Department of Education last year decided that certain healthcare studies – such as nursing, physician assistants and physical therapy – were not considered professional programs.
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One of the most controversial things to happen in sports over the last five to seven years or so is the introduction of jersey ads.
Adjective
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Aviation experts said those conditions would have been difficult to navigate that evening when the helicopter, a Robinson R66, crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
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But traffic on the waterway remains a fraction of pre-war levels with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take.
Adjective
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Fiber-optic, first-person view (FPV) drones have become a key weapon in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah’s war against Israel in recent months – bypassing Israel’s sophisticated defense systems by duplicating an asymmetric warfare tactic that first emerged in the Russia-Ukraine war.
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Children of the 1960s may recall that even within the militant activist group, Students for Democratic Society (SDS), animus was frequently directed not at the establishment but at fellow antiwar advocates.
Adjective
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In her account, Richmond indeed emerges as its progenitor—through his theorizing, his behind-the-scenes parliamentary and polemical maneuvering, and his patronage of Thomas Paine.
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The slapstick titles—Crackned Horsez, To of Them, Ape Island, all 1972—further stymied any straightforwardly polemical takeaway.
Adjective
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The complaint alleges that school officials at Southern Hills Middle School failed to stop two years of antisemitic harassment against an eighth grader even after investigations concluded the student faced a hostile environment.
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Create an internal incident map and begin tagging hostile actions according to the DISARM taxonomy.
Adjective
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There's a confrontational moment between Tom and Mary for the first time.
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Others could find your go-getter approach refreshing, while some may experience it as confrontational.
Adjective
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Beliefs bump against reality as the emotional Moon activates your 9th House of Learning, quincunx combative Mars in your 4th House of Home.
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The responding officer recognized Poirier from his professional fighting career and requested backup because of what the report described as his combative behavior.
Cite this Entry
“Contentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentious. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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