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
-
Worst of all, funding for these questionable initiatives was originally set by Congress to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
-
Despite questionable officiating and Towns getting in foul trouble early, the Knicks secured a 107-106 win behind Brunson and Anunoby scoring 36 and 33, respectively.—
Leocciano Callao,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
That time, a very disputable foul denied him.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
-
In a one-page response to Hubbell's petition, Holden-Key rejected the allegations without specifying which claim was disputable.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
4 Aug. 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
-
Both series peaked early and both sputtered on to diminishing returns before giving up the ghost (sorry) — at least until the IP was dusted off again, to arguable gain in the case of Scream.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The stories behind each batch of Booker’s range from nebulous to dubious to some semblance of credibility.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
9 June 2026
-
And while that big, round number is dubious, the essence isn’t.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
8 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
-
There is some irony in that Donachie also coaches Barcelona’s Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, for whom a permanent move to the Camp Nou now looks doubtful after his England team-mate’s arrival.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Cooperation once cautious — even suspicious — became fluid and strategic.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Dec. 2025
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Directed by Alan Mak and starring Aaron Kwok, Simon Yam and Francis Ng, the film centres on a barrister and a police officer who team up to investigate the suspicious death of a charity organisation’s finance chief — exposing corruption and money-laundering at the heart of the group.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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