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
Now, the biggest need is debatable.
—
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
What’s less debatable is his position among the great philosophers.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2026
Less debatable in the meantime is how Barrera’s firing has had widespread effects on Scream 7 and the future of the franchise.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Even if the tariffs are effective — which is debatable — these advocates miss the point.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
What’s less debatable is his position among the great philosophers.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2026
Less debatable in the meantime is how Barrera’s firing has had widespread effects on Scream 7 and the future of the franchise.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Even if the tariffs are effective — which is debatable — these advocates miss the point.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
-
Towns was downgraded to questionable Friday morning, shot around ahead of tipoff against Chicago, then grimaced and grabbed at his arm before leaving the floor and being ruled out for the night with a right elbow impingement.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Veteran guard Marcus Smart was officially ruled out for the Dallas game on Saturday – his seventh consecutive game missed – while forward Jarred Vanderbilt was added to the injury report as questionable with right calf soreness.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 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
-
Whether Trumps deregulation caused that specific incident is arguable.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Pavia also notes there are arguable inconsistencies in his group’s exclusion compared to other groups who are permitted to play.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Underneath it, the authors of the flyer listed a few dubious talking points maligning immigrants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
-
To say that this idea is scientifically dubious is putting it lightly.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Recalling what areas were problematic in their previous matchups against the Minnesota Timberwolves wasn’t all that hard for the Hornets’ coach.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Then, suddenly Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are injured, and winning a first-round series now seems problematic.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Jan Oblak is also doubtful with a hip problem, while Marcos Llorente is suspended and Johnny Cardoso is injured.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The Ducks were without leading scorer Cutter Gauthier (doubtful for Tuesday), rugged captain Radko Gudas (doubtful), active blue-liner Pavel Mintyukov (probable), grinder Jansen Harkins (out) and enforcer Ross Johnston (out) when they were stampeded on Saturday by the Calgary Flames.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Finding the behavior suspicious, police said the officers activated their overhead lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Never click on suspicious links Some scams prompt you to click on a link that takes you to a fake website to gather your personal information or unintentionally download malware onto your computer.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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