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
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 controversy
But after a year of controversy and compromise, the fight over how to update the park seems far from over.
—
Amanda Rosa
may 6, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Industry experts argued Lively’s star power extends far beyond the current controversy.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Legal controversies are often resolved without litigation, and sometimes the threat of litigation alone can produce change.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
This latest controversy, though, brings back all the other question marks.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Amanda Rosa
may 6, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Industry experts argued Lively’s star power extends far beyond the current controversy.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Legal controversies are often resolved without litigation, and sometimes the threat of litigation alone can produce change.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 May 2026
This latest controversy, though, brings back all the other question marks.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
-
By 2009, Cage was facing serious financial strain, including a dispute with the IRS over $6 million in unpaid taxes.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The statement notably excludes Anthropic, which has been in dispute with the Pentagon over guardrails for how the military could use its artificial intelligence tools.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The early read was that Alphabet , Microsoft , Meta Platforms , and Amazon all passed with flying colors, but beneath the strong headline numbers, a more nuanced debate is taking shape.—
Paulina Likos,Zev Fima,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
-
There have been debates about the entertainment value of the Premier League all season, but the top-flight of English football remains the least predictable of Europe’s top leagues.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
At 20, he was arrested after a routine traffic stop turned into a violent altercation with police.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The altercation between Avdija and Castle put an end to a frustrating day for the Trail Blazers, who lost Game 4 by 21 points after holding a 17-point lead at halftime.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This did not, however, mark the end of disputation concerning the Northwest Angle.—
Scott Spires,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 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
Noun
-
But there were disagreements inside the administration over the wisdom of funding the bailout.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
2 May 2026
-
But some Republicans shook their heads in disagreement.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
That same month, Browne found himself in a public quarrel with fellow Caribbean leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
-
As the quarrel turned physical, the woman pushed Smith to the ground, witnesses told police.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The victim told police Walton became enraged over not receiving a tip, leading to an argument.—
Stepheny Price , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
-
During debate, DeSantis’s general counsel, David Axelman, argued that complying with prior court mandates risked acknowledging that race played a role in drawing districts, echoing legal arguments at the center of the Louisiana case.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The fight, though, kept getting delayed.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
While Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first Black president and a global icon – having spent 27 years in jail for his role in the fight against apartheid – his wife Winnie, who was arguably just as instrumental in that fight, has been widely maligned.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
