contested

verb

past tense of contest
as in challenged
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of vowed to contest the claim in court

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 contested The last time the Open Championship was contested at Royal Birkdale Golf Club was 2017, when Jordan Spieth won by three strokes over Matt Kuchar. — Dennis Esser, New York Times, 15 July 2026 The modern corporation, the series LLC, and the public benefit corporation were each contested when introduced, then widely adopted. — John Nay, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Georgia is in the middle of a tight and highly contested midterm election season, with two major races at the top of the ticket. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 14 July 2026 This time, though, Le Pen’s views and her far-right party are more mainstream, and the question of who is French is contested even beyond France’s borders. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 13 July 2026 Supporters of the deal back Ellison’s claim that the merger would allow big Hollywood studios to compete with streaming services like Amazon and Netflix which also risk causing a market takeover if not contested. — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026 Now, as the Taliban moves to restrict smartphones, one of the country's most popular tools has become one of its most contested. — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026 In all, 76 Las Vegas Summer League games involving all 30 NBA teams will be contested over the next 11 days in UNLV’s Thomas and Mack Center as well as the adjacent Cox Pavilion. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026 By then, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was already in place mandating the return of remains, but museums contested the regulation on whether hair samples also needed to be repatriated. — News Desk, Artforum, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contested
  1. challenged
  2. questioned
  3. disputed
Verb
  • Leipzig had locker room issues a few years ago, when a few players were regarded as not pulling their weight — and Schlager was one of the senior figures who challenged them and urged them to improve their mentality.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The act grants collective media rights to schools that join, allowing those currently facing Title IX non-compliance claims to remain non-compliant with no oversight of compliance, and the athletes who challenged them without power.
    — Katie Uhlaender OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of challenged
Verb
  • The man questioned by police earlier allegedly appeared to throw 10 punches at the man on the ground and three knee strikes or kicks, according to the arrest reports.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
  • His parents, however, have questioned that as out of character and potentially the sign that foul play was covered up.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of questioned
Verb
  • Congo’s tax authority alleges KCC owes the state billions of dollars, a claim disputed by the Swiss commodities giant, which is one of DR Congo’s largest copper and cobalt producers.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 16 July 2026
  • Provided with details of Reuters’ reporting, spokeswoman Courtney Spencer disputed key details as untrue or inaccurate, including the plan to eliminate the entire childhood immunization schedule.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of disputed

Browse Nearby Words

contestations
contested
contesting
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Cite this Entry

“Contested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contested. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on contested

Nglish: Translation of contested for Spanish Speakers

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