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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of controversial
Trump has also invoked executive authority to restart a controversial oil pipeline off California’s coast amid opposition from state officials.
—
Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Conan O’Brien isn’t afraid to get controversial at the 2026 Oscars.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Senate Republicans are preparing to vote on the president's controversial SAVE Act this week.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
The news came approximately three years after the then-Prince stepped back from all public duties, following his controversial BBC Newsnight interview about the Epstein scandal.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Conan O’Brien isn’t afraid to get controversial at the 2026 Oscars.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Senate Republicans are preparing to vote on the president's controversial SAVE Act this week.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
The news came approximately three years after the then-Prince stepped back from all public duties, following his controversial BBC Newsnight interview about the Epstein scandal.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversial
Adjective
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The 8-7 vote came after a contentious hearing Wednesday and sent the Cabinet nomination to the full Senate, which could act to confirm the Oklahoma Republican next week.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
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The contentious film has been brewing in the background of its subjects’ notoriously sexist social media accounts for the past year as Theroux pieced his documentary together behind the scenes.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 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
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Senior defender Adriana Warrington and sophomore defender Corinne Faivre anchor aggressive back line.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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Shapiro framed the work as a necessary step in the fight against biodiversity loss, arguing that conservation science may require more aggressive solutions as biodiversity declines.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversial. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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