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
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Recent Examples of controversies
The conviction joins a running list of jail controversies for the Sheriff’s Office, mostly occurring under the previous administration under Laurie Smith and costing the county more than $20 million in legal settlements.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
One of his ex-wives addressed his racist language In the midst of Fuhrman's controversies in the Simpson murder trial, his second wife, Janet (then Hackett), spoke to several news outlets to share her opinions on her ex-husband.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
But such controversies are incidental to the debate over school vaccine mandates.
—Adam W. Gaffney, STAT, 18 May 2026
Although the Smithsonian asserted during the Sajet episode that only the institution’s secretary could fire museum directors, the controversies combined to illustrate the toll of political pressure.
—Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Since the controversies erupted, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been engaged in discussions, including leaders of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the Republican Women's Caucus.
—Nikole Killion, CBS News, 13 May 2026
There is no apparent connection between the controversies at the CoC and the FBI’s criminal probe.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Playwright Mark Rosenblatt takes a leaf from the Peter Morgan playbook of using newsy real-life controversies with direct contemporary applicability to spark balanced drama.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
But Price’s spokesperson pushed back on efforts to frame the race primarily around ethics controversies.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
One of his ex-wives addressed his racist language In the midst of Fuhrman's controversies in the Simpson murder trial, his second wife, Janet (then Hackett), spoke to several news outlets to share her opinions on her ex-husband.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
But such controversies are incidental to the debate over school vaccine mandates.
—Adam W. Gaffney, STAT, 18 May 2026
Although the Smithsonian asserted during the Sajet episode that only the institution’s secretary could fire museum directors, the controversies combined to illustrate the toll of political pressure.
—Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Since the controversies erupted, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been engaged in discussions, including leaders of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the Republican Women's Caucus.
—Nikole Killion, CBS News, 13 May 2026
There is no apparent connection between the controversies at the CoC and the FBI’s criminal probe.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Playwright Mark Rosenblatt takes a leaf from the Peter Morgan playbook of using newsy real-life controversies with direct contemporary applicability to spark balanced drama.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
But Price’s spokesperson pushed back on efforts to frame the race primarily around ethics controversies.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversies
Noun
-
Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
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
Noun
-
Public safety dominated the exchange, with sharp disagreements over crime trends, law enforcement authority and the role sheriffs should play in statewide policy.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
In addition, this legislation could provide leaders with protection on state laws pertaining to NIL, which has led to lawsuits and a plethora of disagreements.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
As tensions rise between the United States and China over trade, technology, Taiwan and military influence, the relationship between the world’s two largest economies is increasingly shaping global politics and national security debates.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
-
In the last two debates, Becerra, considered the party's frontrunner, has faced scrutiny from other candidates and the public over his connection to Williamson.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
-
As the trio quarrels, bonds and ventures through the wild unknown, Felix discovers that true bravery may change not only his own destiny, but also the future of his home.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Morningside and Eveningside were accepting of their differences.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Viola’s reaction spotlighted growing frustration among competitors who believe the ruling body is using procedural fixes to avoid addressing biological differences in girls' sports.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Sunday’s defeat at Barcelona capped an embarrassing week for Madrid, marked by altercations between players in training that led the club to fine Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni 500,000 euros ($589,000) each.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 May 2026
-
The cases stemmed from a series of allegations, each made that the other acted violently in a series of altercations that month.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Some congressional Democrats have offered similar arguments, claiming that a gas tax holiday would be a drop in the bucket for consumers and that the only real way to bring down gas prices is to end the war with Iran.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
-
Earthrise rejected Becker’s arguments that the application does not properly identify wetlands that have been farmed.—
Alicia Fabbre,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversies. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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