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controversies

noun

plural of controversy
1
as in disputes
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions the seemingly imperishable controversy over the teaching of evolution

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in disputations
variance of opinion on a matter there is considerable controversy regarding the assassination of President Kennedy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 controversies The Sunderland penalty against Arsenal (and indeed various other controversies at the Stadium of Light on Saturday)? — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 International Boxing Association controversies Under Kremlev, the IBA faced extraordinary controversy. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 The study also took into account FIRE’s assessment of campus speech policies and how schools responded to speech controversies. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Many have great concerns, based on ICE’s long history of use‑of‑force controversies, inadequate training and the medical risks. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, known as FIRE, ranked 261 colleges across the country based on student surveys, institutional policies and responses to speech controversies. — Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice, 11 Sep. 2026 Collins’ campaign controversies include ugly and ongoing antisemitic messages from a former aide and Collins’ own son-in-law. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026 The Stars and Stripes jumped out to a 19-8 lead by the end of the first quarter and held on to win by a score of 55-52, though the contest wasn't without its fair share of lead changes and controversies. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026 During her time on stage, Raman described the controversies as a larger trend in the Bass administration. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversies
  1. disputes
  2. disputations
  3. disagreements
  4. debates
  5. quarrels
  6. differences
  7. altercations
  8. arguments
Noun
  • Perhaps sport’s more important diplomatic contribution isn’t resolving disputes at all.
    — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The Johannesburg Crisis Alliance has blamed the disruptions on labor disputes, financial constraints, and an aging fleet.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Definition of disputations
Noun
  • Working with Minhaj and Venkataramanujam, both first-time feature writers, meant frequent creative disagreements, Khan says, but never without purpose.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The issue has been especially contentious in Northern Virginia, where disagreements over bathrooms, locker rooms, pronouns and parental notification have prompted clashes between state officials and local school boards.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • The current debates on consciousness, sentience, and AI would profit from a substantial input from philosophers who are familiar with that tradition.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
  • LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman says recent debates over whether to slow or accelerate the technology are missing something crucial.
    — Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of debates
Noun
  • Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • On the new series, some House of Stassi castmembers raised their quarrels with Maloney joining their cast.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of quarrels
Noun
  • Fusion signatures face scrutiny The researchers also found temperature differences between the active reactor and a calibration device operating under comparable input-power conditions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In the context of Texas, these differences might not have mattered, since the Jews, like other citizens of the fast-growing state, were adept at absorbing immigrants.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of differences
Noun
  • Tchouameni and Valverde were involved in two separate altercations, a day apart, in May, with the latter taken to hospital to undergo assessments after sustaining a head injury during the second incident.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • After marching from Crocker Park in downtown Sacramento, the protest groups engaged in verbal and physical altercations across a barricade formed by law enforcement officers.
    — Hannah Ruhoff, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of altercations
Noun
  • This, however, is the stuff of creative and useful future arguments.
    — Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Kanter could raise the same basic arguments in an arbitration, but it would be conducted in private, and awards by arbitrators are difficult to challenge in court because judges are obligated to give high deference to those awards.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of arguments

Browse Nearby Words

controversial
controversies
controversy
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Cite this Entry

“Controversies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversies. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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