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
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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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Recent Examples of debatable
And that is, to say the least, debatable.
—
Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
And that is, to say the least, debatable.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
But Huang was using a broad, debatable definition tied to AI being able to do a person’s job—or even run a billion-dollar company—rather than the more common definition of AI that is as capable as a human across the entire range of cognitive abilities.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
But whether employment levels are about to be driven off a cliff thanks to the rampant use of generative AI at the workplace remains debatable.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
And that is, to say the least, debatable.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
But Huang was using a broad, debatable definition tied to AI being able to do a person’s job—or even run a billion-dollar company—rather than the more common definition of AI that is as capable as a human across the entire range of cognitive abilities.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
But whether employment levels are about to be driven off a cliff thanks to the rampant use of generative AI at the workplace remains debatable.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
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In March, independent journalist Nick Shirley released a video calling out a large number of questionable hospice providers clustered in Los Angeles, following his high-profile video investigation into fraudulent daycare providers in Minnesota.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
23 May 2026
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Sure, his brethren didn't do themselves any favours with their questionable behaviour, but Rotta could be the one to prove that no one is defined by their past.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.—
Brielle Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Mar. 2026
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That disputable appraisal turned a few heads, and people began peppering the bot for further remarks on Musk’s physical prowess.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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With the arguable exception of that scrappy first season in Manchester, the last two seasons of City have been Guardiola’s worst.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
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And while Cathy has always been a famous beauty, Pugh is looking almost unreasonably chic as the arguable tyrant/Satan analog.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Having seen it on TV before, with its repetitive visuals—every athlete in black spandex, performing the same tasks with minute variations—this seemed dubious.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The dubious long-term benefits of these programs are a common criticism of UBI, among others.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The pet trade has become somewhat problematic, Marchand said.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
18 May 2026
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What kind of developer puts his money into an indie documentary that might give his business-as-usual peers — not to mention investors, luxury condo buyers and other beneficiaries of Miami’s prolonged but problematic and plainly inequitable real-estate boom — a conniption?—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Nearly two decades later, blockchains and cryptocurrency have become a ubiquitous feature of our lives, if of still doubtful real value.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
On the injury front, Vanderbilt was officially scratched before the game with his pinky finger dislocation after being listed as doubtful.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Further, according to a TSA spokesperson, packing food that looks suspicious on X-ray, like powders or dense snacks, often gets your bag flagged.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
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Officers searched the grounds and found nothing suspicious.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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