contesting

verb

present participle of contest
as in questioning
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 contesting Murphy hired a lawyer and is suing Paradigm Peptides, which Kawa is contesting. — Daniel Gilbert, CBS News, 30 July 2026 The four semifinalists secure automatic berths, with the losing quarterfinalists immediately contesting a playoff bracket. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 26 July 2026 Scott Peterson's attorney appeals Scott's automatic appeal was submitted to the California Supreme Court on July 5, accompanied by a 423-page brief document from Scott's attorney, contesting the trial had been unfair. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 17 July 2026 The city of Syracuse and county of Onondaga are contesting Broadwater’s claims. — ProPublica, 14 July 2026 Three men who were in the vehicle alongside Lorenzo Salgado Araujo are contesting the Department of Homeland Security’s account of the fatal shooting. — Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 10 July 2026 The bicentennial occurred during an election year, with all the partisan denunciations that entails (though when Jimmy Carter narrowly beat Ford, no one thought of contesting the results). — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Their success has rattled more centrist Democrats who are concerned Mamdani’s politics will not help the party’s candidates contesting battleground, swing districts. — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2026 Review your options for contesting unemployment. — Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contesting
  1. questioning
  2. challenging
  3. disputing
Verb
  • An appeal, on the other hand, can only consider evidence that’s already in the record and is typically filed when a defendant is questioning a judge’s decision.
    — Alex Brizee July 30, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
  • Al-Ahli released an atypical official statement questioning the officiating of one game in April.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of questioning
Verb
  • Three of the candidates are Democrats challenging the incumbent, a Republican.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Care requires a dynamic infrastructure that includes building trust and rapport with communities, providing accessible health care, translating science and medical literacy, challenging HIV stigma and discrimination.
    — Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of challenging
Verb
  • One of the more contentious decisions was replacing the old 14th hole with a new short-game area, although there is no disputing the quality of the practice facilities.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Hours after the shooting, Salgado Araujo’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, shared a message on Facebook remembering his father and disputing the circumstances surrounding his death.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of disputing

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Cite this Entry

“Contesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contesting. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on contesting

Nglish: Translation of contesting for Spanish Speakers

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