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 Fever have won seven of their last nine despite being the focal point of so many controversies. — CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 But their success on the floor has often been subsumed by controversies. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Tangent Lindell has faced several controversies during the campaign. — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Old tweets haunt Democratic candidate Can Hong get past controversies? — Terry Collins, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 While the charges against LeVota continue to roil Jackson County, some leaders are hoping the fractured county can soon move past its longstanding controversies. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026 As Crowley sprinted across the state to capture undecided voters, Hong was batting down controversies. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 But controversies tied to the people around him — most recently antisemitic and white nationalist social media posts by his son-in-law — have dogged him throughout his campaign. — Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Embattled Central Florida Congressman Cory Mills faced off in a fiery primary debate with three fellow Republicans Wednesday evening, in which the political issues were largely overshadowed by his many controversies. — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversies
  1. disputes
  2. disputations
  3. disagreements
  4. debates
  5. quarrels
  6. differences
  7. altercations
  8. arguments
Noun
  • Sacramento City Unified School District is going through one of the most unprecedented fiscal disputes in California, one that has left even the state’s top education officials grappling with the scope of their authority and intervention.
    — Chaewon Chung August 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Deed theft often exploits grief, financial distress, inheritance disputes and the limited resources of older homeowners.
    — Landon Dais, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 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
  • At other times these techniques were employed amid disagreements between African American individuals, arising from issues such as economic competition or romantic jealousy.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But ongoing disagreements between LAWA and LINXS continue, and extensive 30-day testing that would need to be completed before the train’s opening would move the project date back further to late 2026.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • There have also been several divisive debates around credit and attribution.
    — Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • There will be debates about taxes, energy policy, and the trajectory of this state, and voters deserve to see those disagreements fought out in full.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of debates
Noun
  • On the new series, some House of Stassi castmembers raised their quarrels with Maloney joining their cast.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Candi is the family mediator Like any father-daughter coaching dynamic, Corey and Coco have had their fair share of quarrels on the tennis court.
    — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
Definition of quarrels
Noun
  • Its progressive government has worked closely with Washington on security despite political differences.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Authorized participants can create or redeem large blocks of ETF shares when differences develop between the ETF’s market price and the value of its underlying holdings.
    — byDoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of differences
Noun
  • Simple assault are altercations and incidents that don’t involve weapons or serious injuries, including domestic incidents.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • In court filings, ex-wife Emily Moreno alleged that Miller has repeatedly had physical and verbal altercations with her attorney, Andrew Zashin, after recent court hearings in an ongoing custody battle.
    — Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of altercations
Noun
  • Dallas appellate attorney David Coale, who has handled appeals for decades, told CBS News Texas after the trial that Anthony's team could have several strong arguments over whether the trial was handled correctly.
    — CBS Texas Staff, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Paul Schmidt, a Covington & Burling trial attorney representing Meta, contested O'Neill's arguments, and disputed the notion that Meta executives misled the public with their statements about child safety.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 19 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of controversies for Spanish Speakers

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