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
The Polari Prize, one of the UK’s premiere awards celebrating LGBTQ+ writing, has sparked controversy by including John Boyne’s Earth as a contender for their annual Book Prize.
—
James Folta, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
However, Segal warned that the advert's controversy could have the opposite effect on Sweeney's career.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
Lohan's behavior during the low-budget production generated press reports and controversy, some of it puzzling.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The controversy over his role in Webster’s appointment contributed to the resignation of SEC Chair Harvey Pitt.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversy
James Folta, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
However, Segal warned that the advert's controversy could have the opposite effect on Sweeney's career.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
Lohan's behavior during the low-budget production generated press reports and controversy, some of it puzzling.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The controversy over his role in Webster’s appointment contributed to the resignation of SEC Chair Harvey Pitt.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
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The notice comes in the midst of a broader legal dispute between Wilson and The Deb's producers.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Peter was working on Chime’s internal tools for managing customer support and disputes.—
Jeff Kauflin,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The debate was ignited once again in July when Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites were added to the list, 50 years on from the Communist government’s rise to power.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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Denzel Washington has his own take on the cancel culture debate.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The department did not say how many shots were fired during the altercation.—
Craig Shoup,
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
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The victim had told police that there had been an altercation earlier in the day that involved her son, and that she had been invited to speak with the family about the earlier incident, the report states.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
1 Aug. 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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Lose your only Harmonizer, and a small disagreement can turn into a productivity-killing feud.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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What started as a financial disagreement quickly turned into a tense family standoff.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Harvard’s quarrel with Trump is the extreme example: in March, the administration revoked the university’s ability to grant travel visas, though Harvard’s deal with the University of Toronto may circumvent this issue for now.—
Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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The two quarrel over the Ukrainian leader’s outfit before trading jabs in the air with Trump firing a water gun at the Ukrainian president.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images But there is another side to this argument.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
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Sell Cell makes the argument that Apple’s struggles with rolling out Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 might play a role in the increased speed of iPhone depreciation.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Redistricting in Texas, the center of the fight, is far from over.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
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He was arrested three days after the fights and has been detained at the Hamilton County Justice Center.—
Kevin Grasha,
The Enquirer,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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