as in challenged
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
vowed to contest the claim in court
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Recent Examples of contested
Norfleet contested the accusations and took the matter to trial.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
One race features an incumbent who is unopposed, and races for the other four seats are contested.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
So the state has enshrined victimhood in law, even though the science remains contested.
—Magdalena Stawkowski, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Many of these were hard wins, often fraught and contested in their local context.
—Gia Biagi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
But there were also rivalries — and who got to control a bigger share of the work was hotly contested.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
But the extent of birth tourism – and its threat to national security – is hotly contested.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the showdown between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets projects to be tightly contested.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While a few of the Pacers’ 18 made threes were tightly contested, many were not.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
One race features an incumbent who is unopposed, and races for the other four seats are contested.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
So the state has enshrined victimhood in law, even though the science remains contested.
—Magdalena Stawkowski, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Many of these were hard wins, often fraught and contested in their local context.
—Gia Biagi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
But there were also rivalries — and who got to control a bigger share of the work was hotly contested.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
But the extent of birth tourism – and its threat to national security – is hotly contested.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the showdown between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets projects to be tightly contested.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While a few of the Pacers’ 18 made threes were tightly contested, many were not.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contested
Verb
-
Elsewhere, in Hartford, Connecticut, PLF challenged a decades-old desegregation settlement that prevented racial and ethnic minority kids from attending high-quality magnet schools in their own neighborhood.—
Alison Somin,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
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Grimsley says his congregation has been challenged and endured a series of setbacks.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Market watchers questioned the fairness of Sunway’s offer.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
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However, others questioned whether this was in fact the case, as certain features such as the length and shape of its arms didn’t match what would be expected, said Clements.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Players and umpires can get a definitive answer when a call is disputed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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Bonta, the attorney general, has disputed that, saying the warrant didn't appoint a special master to conduct such a recount.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contested. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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