1
as in contentious
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions
tried to avoid controversial topics over the holiday dinner table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polemical
given to arguing
controversial by temperament, she's the sort of political attack dog who kills all hope of bipartisanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of controversial
Tom Cruise might not be as vocal about his ties to Scientology these days, but that doesn’t mean the actor, who at one point became something akin to the face of the controversial religion, is no longer a Scientologist.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Apr. 2026
Last weekend, Netanyahu’s coalition passed the controversial 2026 budget that effectively keeps the government in power until October, when elections are scheduled.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Officiating became an incendiary subplot; controversial calls and no-calls stirred the pot in the first half without ever completely derailing the game once Denver and San Antonio got down to business later.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Pepsi has pulled out of sponsoring an upcoming music festival in London amid growing backlash over the involvement of Ye, the controversial rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Apr. 2026
Last weekend, Netanyahu’s coalition passed the controversial 2026 budget that effectively keeps the government in power until October, when elections are scheduled.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Officiating became an incendiary subplot; controversial calls and no-calls stirred the pot in the first half without ever completely derailing the game once Denver and San Antonio got down to business later.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Pepsi has pulled out of sponsoring an upcoming music festival in London amid growing backlash over the involvement of Ye, the controversial rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversial
Adjective
-
Investigators lay out a detailed narrative of how the farmer’s wife was killed and provide an intimate look at a couple and family in the midst of a contentious divorce.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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But Xi sent them all home without making significant concessions on the matters that have strained their relations, including concerns over Beijing’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin or China’s unfair trade practices that threaten European industry, among other contentious matters.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Colleges and universities nationwide continue to grapple with polemic issues associated with the fair treatment of individuals of differing backgrounds, political persuasions, and sexuality.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year in our great nation and especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Orbán's nationalist party has become a model for MAGA populists, particularly for its aggressive stance on immigration.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Florian Wirtz was over aggressive in his initial press and then lacked urgency to help balance out City’s right-side overload, while neither Curtis Jones or Ryan Gravenberch drifted across.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversial. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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