1
as in deliberations
a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something
after much debate, I decided to get the chocolate ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter
there was a great deal of debate over the need for cutting costs by eliminating some programs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in discussions
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
there was no debate over the expenditures before the vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in studies
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discusses
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
we debated the advantages versus the disadvantages of the proposed waterfront development
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
This year’s debates have done little to catapult anyone to the top, and tonight was more of the same.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
He's been the prime target of attacks during debates, indicating his Democratic rivals see him as the candidate with momentum.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
One man who is often at the center of these debates is none other than FS1's Nick Wright.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Her tenure included the COVID-19 pandemic, protests over policing and racial justice, explosive growth, contentious debates over transit and, most recently, criticism about public safety and transparency.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
The event is the first of two gubernatorial debates co-hosted by the media outlets this spring.
—The Denver Post, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Annika Erikson, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
Data center debates takeover small town Texas Many state and local officials welcome the blossoming industry as an economic opportunity in small communities where revenue can be hard to come by.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
Lesch plays the savior’s anguished betrayer not as an intellectual equal who fiercely debates him and loses all patience with the movement.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
The Senate typically debates and passes its budget in the week before Memorial Day.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Early voting in the midterm primaries starts Monday in Georgia, and voters were given a chance to see all the Republican hopefuls on one stage at the Atlanta Press Club debates Sunday.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee will quiz McSweeney on Tuesday morning, before the whole house debates a demand by the opposition Conservative Party for Parliament’s Privileges Committee to investigate Starmer’s explanations of how Mandelson came to be appointed.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 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
This year’s debates have done little to catapult anyone to the top, and tonight was more of the same.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
He's been the prime target of attacks during debates, indicating his Democratic rivals see him as the candidate with momentum.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
One man who is often at the center of these debates is none other than FS1's Nick Wright.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Her tenure included the COVID-19 pandemic, protests over policing and racial justice, explosive growth, contentious debates over transit and, most recently, criticism about public safety and transparency.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
The event is the first of two gubernatorial debates co-hosted by the media outlets this spring.
—The Denver Post, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Verb
When Nature Doesn’t Wait While the museum world debates loans and returns, a more immediate threat is accelerating.
—Annika Erikson, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
Data center debates takeover small town Texas Many state and local officials welcome the blossoming industry as an economic opportunity in small communities where revenue can be hard to come by.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
Lesch plays the savior’s anguished betrayer not as an intellectual equal who fiercely debates him and loses all patience with the movement.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
The Senate typically debates and passes its budget in the week before Memorial Day.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Early voting in the midterm primaries starts Monday in Georgia, and voters were given a chance to see all the Republican hopefuls on one stage at the Atlanta Press Club debates Sunday.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee will quiz McSweeney on Tuesday morning, before the whole house debates a demand by the opposition Conservative Party for Parliament’s Privileges Committee to investigate Starmer’s explanations of how Mandelson came to be appointed.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debates
Noun
-
People in that administrative role are typically responsible for bringing jurors to the courtroom and for ferrying notes between the panel and the court during deliberations.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
-
Jurors reached a decision in less than two hours after deliberations began Monday morning.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
There have been internal discussions about the cause.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
And all of that will be facilitated by board of trade discussions with the Chinese.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
In the film Silent Friend, the protagonist, a neurologist who studies brain activity in infants, attempts to quantify the internal signaling of a ginkgo tree on a university campus.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
-
Anne Burrows, an anatomist at Duquesne University who studies the comparative anatomy of facial expression in dogs, has studied enough dog and wolf faces to know that the muscles underneath work very differently.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Mayor Karen Bass discusses her policies and how to improve them at the two-day forum.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
This entry discusses talk radio in the United States and elsewhere, the growth of talk radio beginning in the late 1980s, and talk radio topics and formats.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Millions upon millions of people are using generative AI as their ongoing advisor on mental health considerations (note that ChatGPT alone has over 900 million weekly active users, a notable proportion of which dip into mental health aspects, see my analysis at the link here).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Guests with work obligations, caregiving responsibilities or health considerations may not be able to fully disconnect, and most properties offer at least limited emergency communication options.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
16 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
-
Following the launch of the evaluation in July 2025, the Commission has carried out extensive consultations, including a stakeholder workshop, a call for evidence, and a public consultation that closed on 1 May.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Many also offer free or low-cost initial consultations, but acting quickly matters.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debates. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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