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
Many of the races on the DLCC’s 2026 target list were pivotal in 2024 and are expected to be hotly contested again in November.
—
Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026
The exact figure is contested, but the strategic logic behind it is not.
—Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
If the case is contested, this could take several months or longer, depending on court schedules and complexity.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Those changes will be contested, in math as in other academic disciplines wrestling with AI’s impact.
—Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Lavelle scored the opening goal and assisted on the game-winner as the United States women’s national team beat Japan 2-1 in the first of three friendlies contested between the nations during this international window.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
But 40 minutes later, the 800 Invitational would be contested.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
The game was closely contested with each team finishing with 10 shots and Smithson Valley having a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
This time, two seats are being contested in Orange County.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026
The exact figure is contested, but the strategic logic behind it is not.
—Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
If the case is contested, this could take several months or longer, depending on court schedules and complexity.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Those changes will be contested, in math as in other academic disciplines wrestling with AI’s impact.
—Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Lavelle scored the opening goal and assisted on the game-winner as the United States women’s national team beat Japan 2-1 in the first of three friendlies contested between the nations during this international window.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
But 40 minutes later, the 800 Invitational would be contested.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
The game was closely contested with each team finishing with 10 shots and Smithson Valley having a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
This time, two seats are being contested in Orange County.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contested
Verb
-
Quero challenged, and again it was overturned to a strike.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The agency has recently been challenged over changes to vaccines made under HHS Secretary Kennedy.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and also worried it might be killed during capture, something that happened to a puma that escaped from the same zoo in 2018.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The teen’s parents later questioned how her abuser was able to continue working with children following his arrest.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In court filings, the Newton Police Department has disputed the allegations, saying officers responded to multiple calls about roughly 100 spectators at Heartbreak Hill who were impeding the race.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Amazon has previously disputed Bonta's claims.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contested. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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