1
as in questionable
open to question or dispute
it's always debatable which college football team is really number one, since there's more than one ranking system
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disputable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the debatable wisdom of going back for another helping from the buffet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debatable
That bill would aggressively phase out crucial clean energy tax credits and lead to fewer renewable energy additions—though the degree of that drop off is debatable.
—
Justin Worland, Time, 13 June 2025
Whether the Padres can keep playing games of this type and win at the necessary pace is debatable.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
Leo: Miranda Hobbes Miranda’s birthdate is debatable.
—Lisa Stardust, People.com, 28 May 2025
Whether or not Jones would have wanted his character to feature in Fortnite is debatable, but strangely enough, Disney’s Star Wars has inspired similar debates in the past.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Justin Worland, Time, 13 June 2025
Whether the Padres can keep playing games of this type and win at the necessary pace is debatable.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
Leo: Miranda Hobbes Miranda’s birthdate is debatable.
—Lisa Stardust, People.com, 28 May 2025
Whether or not Jones would have wanted his character to feature in Fortnite is debatable, but strangely enough, Disney’s Star Wars has inspired similar debates in the past.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
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However, based on the questionable quality of the data, not all experts are convinced that the AI model is accurate.—
Joanna Thompson,
Space.com,
21 June 2025
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The market was split between natural products that didn’t perform and luxury beauty loaded with questionable ingredients.—
Megan Bruneau,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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But another piece of it is in the dubious nature of the state’s creation.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
20 June 2025
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Pair that with a Republican reconciliation bill that increases tax giveaways while refusing to rein in even the most dubious Medicaid expansions, and the message is unmistakable: Washington is still in giveaway mode.—
Fatima Hussein,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Obama has now been succeeded twice by his arguable antithesis, Donald Trump, ...—
Jack Butler,
National Review,
15 June 2025
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But certifying who gets to participate in the lawsuit can take months or years, while a policy and its arguable harms would survive.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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And if that decline becomes problematic, it will likely be tied to physical decline that makes an LTIR exit viable.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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Attempts to stem the flow of materials that could aid Kim's nuclear program became even more problematic last year when Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of a panel of experts enforcing sanctions on North Korea.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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But some fear Newsom might even veto the $110 million, although this seems doubtful, given the public anger that could generate.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
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Whether Baghdad would risk firing these at intruding IAF jets that are not actively attacking targets on its territory is doubtful, given the crushing retaliation doing so would likely incur.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Avoid suspicious links and install strong antivirus protection: Crocodilus spreads through deceptive ads and fake app links.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2025
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The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but state fire officials said Wednesday a preliminary investigation found no suspicious cause.—
Todd Prussman,
Boston Herald,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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