debatable

adjective

di-ˈbā-tə-bəl How to pronounce debatable (audio)
Definition of debatablenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debatable For now, the Purdy-Jones fit could be the NFL’s best quarterback pairing, debatable with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 16 July 2026 Whether the controversy truly affected the game remains debatable. — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Whether these features will be useful in your daily life is debatable. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 30 June 2026 But this approach rests on some debatable assumptions. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
  1. questionable
  2. disputable
  3. arguable
  4. dubious
  5. problematic
  6. doubtful
  7. suspicious
Adjective
  • His shows were cancelled for what writers for Ynet and Haaretz considered questionable reasons, among them alleged pressure from Netanyahu’s allies, although the networks involved named other justifications, including financial ones.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Those who witness dangerous or questionable behavior on the water are told to call the NOAA Fisheries’ Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of questionable
Adjective
  • However, disputable refereeing decisions, especially in the matches against Italy and Spain, led to allegations that South Korea may have benefited from favorable officiating.
    — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026
  • Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.
    — Brielle Miller, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of disputable
Adjective
  • Pairing Diggs with McLaurin gives Washington arguable its best wide receiver duo since Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson each topped the 1,000-yard mark in 2016.
    — Ethan Cadeaux, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of arguable
Adjective
  • That’s mainly because of financial interests and outdated regulations, experts told STAT, which has now left holes in the IRB system where science that is both legally compliant and ethically dubious can proceed.
    — Angus Chen, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Over time, as players bluff, bargain, and make increasingly dubious trades, trust starts to erode, more and more adverse selection happens — and the game descends into a kind of joyful chaos.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of dubious
Adjective
  • The flood of young talent into banking is also problematic for the country.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • That’s all to say that, while large and important, Telegram is also seen as a nuisance politically and a problematic platform in its own right.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of problematic
Adjective
  • For now, the yen's strength is still holding up, but analysts are doubtful it can be sustained.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As for other returnees to Basic Instinct, Eszterhas was doubtful that Paul Verhoeven would return to direct, but expressed his hope that the filmmaker would come aboard.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026
Definition of doubtful
Adjective
  • Maybe someone noticed a person acting suspicious, heard a fight, saw someone leaving the area or remembers a detail that seemed insignificant at the time.
    — Simcha Itzkowitz, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • CyberGuy's guide to protecting yourself from social media scammers includes more ways to evaluate suspicious accounts.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspicious

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debasing
debatable
debate
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Cite this Entry

“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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