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 Bob Beatty, a Washburn political science professor, said that bringing in an outside consultant at this stage could help Marshall push back against several controversies that have hampered his campaign. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 The First Proof team has received many requests to test open-weight models from mathematicians concerned about privacy after recent high-profile controversies. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 Black women are also routinely afforded the benefit of the doubt by the media during WNBA controversies. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The case is unusual in that public controversies over data usually involve consumers, Mayu Tobin-Miyaji, an attorney with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told the Miami Herald. — Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 The controversies surrounding Rogan’s show haven’t stopped Spotify from partnering with him. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026 The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 Fox and its founder, Rupert Murdoch, have faced controversies, scandals and litigation before. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 That project was beset by controversies and setbacks, including Essar Steel Minnesota filing for bankruptcy in 2016. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 28 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
  • The three fell out over disputes about the charter school’s management.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • That growth has fueled disputes with states and Native American tribes over regulatory authority, while drawing scrutiny from sports leagues over game integrity and from advocates who say the platforms’ accessibility increases the risk of addiction.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • This contestation takes place through philosophical debates, religious disputations, and public discussions, whether direct or indirect, open or clandestine.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • 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
  • The agreement’s broad promises — a new Palestinian administration, an international security force, Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal — have stalled amid deepening disagreements.
    — Joseph Krauss, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Gowanus Green, as shown in this rendering, is planned to be 100 percent affordable, but construction stalled due to disagreements over cleanup standards.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • This contestation takes place through philosophical debates, religious disputations, and public discussions, whether direct or indirect, open or clandestine.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Over the decades, the motives for ending public executions and moving them into prisons have varied – frequently separate from debates over capital punishment.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of debates
Noun
  • The overtones of social significance are adroitly handled and make real sense in an era of tragic international quarrels.
    — THR Staff, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of quarrels
Noun
  • Mann commented that one of the differences between his approach to content creation and the legacy businesses is the speed of development and production.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Consumer spending resilience may be better explained by generations than by income differences, said economist Ed Yardeni, president and chief investment strategist of Yardeni Research.
    — Sharon Epperson, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of differences
Noun
  • Images showed altercations between police and protesters, with officers using batons to strike demonstrators, who threw barriers.
    — Joseph Wilson, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The election is taking place amid heightened political tensions in Serbia, with reports of incidents and physical altercations at campaign events.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of altercations
Noun
  • The potential candidates will also hear more cynical arguments in favor of running no matter what.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Both were sharp, original and capable of making arguments more sophisticated than those of many of their peers.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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