1
as in dispute
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 debate
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 controversy
As controversies pile up, Trump allies increasingly turn on one another
The turmoil is reminiscent of Trump’s chaotic management in his first presidency, which was plagued by interpersonal drama.
—
John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
The controversy alienated even our party’s most loyal supporters who felt that party bosses, not Democratic primary voters, were deciding which candidate would emerge in the general election as the Democratic nominee.
—Ken Martin, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
But Siwa was also dragged into controversy by actor Mickey Rourke, who received a warning after making a series of homophobic remarks during production.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025
The sort-of antagonist in The Last of Us Part II first stirred up controversy when the game originally debuted in 2020.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversy
John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
The controversy alienated even our party’s most loyal supporters who felt that party bosses, not Democratic primary voters, were deciding which candidate would emerge in the general election as the Democratic nominee.
—Ken Martin, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
But Siwa was also dragged into controversy by actor Mickey Rourke, who received a warning after making a series of homophobic remarks during production.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025
The sort-of antagonist in The Last of Us Part II first stirred up controversy when the game originally debuted in 2020.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
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Book dispute is one of three religious rights cases The case is one of three religious rights cases the Supreme Court is deciding in the coming weeks, and appears likely to be part of a recent trend of the court siding with religious rights advocates.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Billing disputes, debt collections and other leading indicators of bankruptcy are also on the rise.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the original post, unlike the current debate, the user set the scene and provided some constraints.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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This seeming contradiction can be understood when the executive order is viewed against the backdrop of current education policy debates.—
F. Chris Curran,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Panthers center Sam Bennett, who had a contentious altercation with Marchand in Round 2 of the playoffs last year, said Marchand’s first message after being added to the team group chat was a chirp.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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The footage shows an altercation between Perez and a man that officials say lasted for about 15 minutes before officers arrived on the scene.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Jake is a single father who has brought Kristen up in the severe Calvinist tradition, marked by Bible disputations of Talmudic intricacy and by a radical detachment from secular and popular culture.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2023
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Seven decades later, this culture of disputation emerged as a central theme in Timothy Garton Ash’s The Magic Lantern, his eyewitness report on the Eastern European revolutions of 1989.—
Susie Linfield,
The New York Review of Books,
11 May 2022
Noun
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Leaders who create space for disagreement without judgment build greater trust, psychological safety and strategic cohesion.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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In a landmark 1935 case, Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt couldn’t fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission due to policy disagreements.—
Quartz Staff,
Quartz,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The quarrel escalated into a fight, and Hernandez was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, cops said.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
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As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Some of the key arguments in recent weeks have been handled by lawyers newly hired into political, rather than career, positions.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2025
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Anne and Ginny’s is the sort of dynamic jagged and fluid enough to build a series around — just not this series, which, to its detriment, seems far more interested in watching Kate and Jack and Danny and Claude rehash the same old arguments with each other.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The health care fight — over a discount drug program — will play out in the House’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
28 Apr. 2025
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Create a powerful statement that positions me against this enemy and explains why this fight matters to my audience.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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