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
But the sporting event held every four years is no stranger to controversy.
—
Vivian Song, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
None of the city councilmembers spoke about the investigation or the controversy between Odette and Harris.
—Veronica Ortega, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The controversy comes as the broader region positions itself as a rising hub for data center and AI infrastructure development.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
The controversy didn't stop the song from reaching the top of the Billboard charts and cementing a legacy that saw Madonna perform the track 37 years later with Sabrina Carpenter at the Coachella Music Festival just this past weekend.
—Topher Gauk-Roger, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Vivian Song, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
None of the city councilmembers spoke about the investigation or the controversy between Odette and Harris.
—Veronica Ortega, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The controversy comes as the broader region positions itself as a rising hub for data center and AI infrastructure development.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
The controversy didn't stop the song from reaching the top of the Billboard charts and cementing a legacy that saw Madonna perform the track 37 years later with Sabrina Carpenter at the Coachella Music Festival just this past weekend.
—Topher Gauk-Roger, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
-
The unresolved regulatory boundaries have led to numerous legal disputes with the states and tribes that regulate and tax gambling.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This week, the dispute between The Deb actress Charlotte MacInnes and its director, Rebel Wilson, spilled into the Federal Court in Australia, and Jake has been tracking the story.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That debate intensified this March, when city officials outlined multiple options for restructuring the city’s approach to homelessness, including maintaining LAHSA with reforms, shifting responsibilities to the county, or bringing more programs in-house.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Neither Thurmond nor Villaraigosa qualified for the latest debate because of their low polling numbers.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The altercation was also caught on video, Kenny said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Though the arrest took place in 2023, the incident made headlines again in March after a video of the altercation — showing Paul yelling, putting Mortensen in a headlock and throwing chairs at him while a child could be heard crying — was published by TMZ.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
20 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
-
Massie came to Congress as a spending hawk, and more than a decade later, that remains his signature issue and the source of many of his disagreements with GOP leaders.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2026
-
And the choices may provoke some disagreement.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the quarrel turned physical, the woman pushed Smith to the ground, witnesses told police.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
What followed was a benches-clearing quarrel between Miller, Sal Stewart and their respective teams, the dramatic conclusion to a two-day saga between the Giants and Reds featuring beanballs, cuss words and aggressive gesticulation.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The defendant got into some sort of argument with Velasquez, who was sitting on a stool outside the store, before the deadly conflict.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As the argument continued, Alexander and his 62-year-old father, in turn, urinated on his neighbor’s yard in apparent retaliation for the dog’s actions, prosecutors say.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Denver police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old man who investigators said shot and killed another man in a fight near South Broadway and West Maple Avenue, department officials said in a news release.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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