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
To say Podziemski is of the same caliber as those players is debatable but not outlandish, and at just 23 years old, he is still expected to improve.
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
What is no longer debatable is the scale and direction of the shift.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
What isn’t debatable is that their blend of talent, experience and mental fortitude left them uniquely positioned to thrive under such tense conditions.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Even if the exact rankings are debatable (franchise revenue data is notoriously patchy), the scale is not.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
What is no longer debatable is the scale and direction of the shift.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
What isn’t debatable is that their blend of talent, experience and mental fortitude left them uniquely positioned to thrive under such tense conditions.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Even if the exact rankings are debatable (franchise revenue data is notoriously patchy), the scale is not.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
-
Whether this claim is credible is questionable, as the Islamic Republic’s media often dissimilates.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The west Broward city already is the focus of scrutiny by the Broward Office of Inspector General, and the Sun Sentinel has reported extensively for years on the city’s questionable financial decisions on its news and opinion pages.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.—
Brielle Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
But while objections to the idea of engineering immunity to disease have remained essentially the same over the last two centuries, their meaning has changed, transforming what was once arguable into the lies that drive our current peril.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Alkaline water has entered the conversation as an arguable alternative to regular drinking water.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
This reader hopes that will be a rebuttal to all the dubious America 250 content flooding orgs beholden to the neutered NEA.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
This claim was dubious; the President has unsuccessfully sought a billion dollars in government funding.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
The judge’s ruling contained a caveat that Sorsby sit out the first two games of the Red Raiders’ season, a distinction that, as detailed below, the NCAA depicts as problematic in its own right.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
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Still, the situation as a whole is certainly problematic, said Craig Prescott in The Sunday Times.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sounding doubtful and defeated, Jessica hung up.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Despite Moïse Bombito once looking doubtful to play in the World Cup after breaking his leg in October and playing just 30 minutes in Canada’s warm-up friendly against Uzbekistan, the star centre-back will remain on the roster.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This can help spot suspicious activity after an unauthorized visit.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
However, investigators determined that the fires were suspicious, according to a Thursday news release from the Woodland Police Department.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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