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 aggressive
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
This post contains details about the fifth and final season of You
Despite his efforts not to romanticize his You character Joe Goldberg, Penn Badgley gave the controversial character a steamy send-off.
—
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Nevertheless, analysts remain cautious about the brand’s new direction under the controversial designer , whose flagship line is set to hit the catwalk in September.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
The first notion that Nike was allegedly funding was in a New York Times article published over the weekend about the plight of Blaire Fleming – the San Jose State Spartans transgender female volleyball player who played a controversial role in the 2024-25 NCAA women’s volleyball season.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Other Republicans have been put on the defensive by the administration’s handling of the controversial case.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Nevertheless, analysts remain cautious about the brand’s new direction under the controversial designer , whose flagship line is set to hit the catwalk in September.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
The first notion that Nike was allegedly funding was in a New York Times article published over the weekend about the plight of Blaire Fleming – the San Jose State Spartans transgender female volleyball player who played a controversial role in the 2024-25 NCAA women’s volleyball season.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Other Republicans have been put on the defensive by the administration’s handling of the controversial case.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversial
Adjective
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The implementation was originally blocked in federal court and sparked a contentious legal back-and-forth.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Some of his actions have been highly contentious, including his decision to deport migrants to an El Salvadorian prison using an 18th century wartime statute — which was subject to legal challenges.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But in recent weeks, Musk dramatically lowered his taxpayer savings estimates from DOGE's government cuts, disagreed publicly with Trump's aggressive tariff policies and butted heads with multiple Trump officials, some publicly, revealing divisions within the White House over Musk's influence.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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After Leandro Trossard’s red card, the approach became even more aggressive — City’s entire team was essentially camped inside or on the edge of Arsenal’s box.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Controversial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversial. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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