Synonyms of debated

debated 1 of 2

adjective

as in disputed

Related Words

• disputed
• controversial
• inconclusive
• uncertain
• debatable
• problematic
• moot
• arguable
• refutable
• disputable
• iffy
• speculative
• indecisive
• shaky
• contradictable
• questionable
• hypothetical
• negotiable
• dubious
• theoretical
• ambiguous
• doubtful
• controvertible
• academic
• issuable
• doubtable
• equivocal

Dissimilar Words

• settled
• sure
• certain
• indisputable
• positive
• accomplished
• unanswerable
• undeniable
• unquestionable
• incontestable
• incontrovertible
• indubitable
• definite
• undebatable
• unarguable
• irrefragable
• irrefutable
• unchallengeable
• questionless
• inarguable
• decisive
• conclusive
• unequivocal
• clear
• hands-down
• unambiguous
• undisputed
• absolute
• uncontested

debated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of debate

1

as in pondered

to give serious and careful thought to

still debating what to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pondered
• contemplated
• considered
• studied
• questioned
• entertained
• weighed
• explored
• reviewed
• deliberated
• analyzed
• eyed
• ruminated
• cogitated
• thought (about or over)
• looked at
• revolved
• meditated
• chewed on
• mulled (over)
• wrestled (with)
• turned
• pored (over)
• chewed over
• perpended
• digested
• kicked around
• reminisced
• concluded
• reasoned
• reflected (on or upon)
• believed
• beat one's brains out (about)
• mused (upon)
• cudgeled one's brains (about)
• opined
• speculated (about)
• conceived
• second-guessed
• obsessed (about or over)
• fixated (on or upon)
• fretted (about or over)
• dwelled (on or upon)
• absorbed
• brooded (about or over)
• drank (in)
• assimilated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignored
• disregarded
• overlooked
• rejected
• dismissed
• slighted
• pooh-poohed

2

as in discussed

to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion

we debated the advantages versus the disadvantages of the proposed waterfront development

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discussed
• argued
• reviewed
• disputed
• canvassed
• bandied
• mooted
• talked over
• agitated
• raised
• considered
• spoke (about)
• introduced
• propounded
• talked (about)
• hashed (over or out)
• broached
• weighed
• batted (around or back and forth)
• deliberated
• stirred up
• forged
• hammered out
• thrashed (out)
• wrestled (with)
• talked out
• chewed over

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of debated

Adjective

Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, here's a look back at the iconic event's most daring — and most debated — style moments. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026

The most debated issue this week is over AI data centers, with every candidate trying to position themselves as the most against them. — Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Now this may be my most controversial and debated stance about Pride Nights and the LGBTQ movement. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026

The referendum centers on long debated reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of Italy’s judiciary. — ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026

The most controversial and debated article on Mint Press News is about the use of chemical agents in the Syrian civil war. — Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Actor Jeff Daniels ran out of jelly one day, reached for barbecue sauce instead, and accidentally created one of the most debated sandwiches on the internet. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026

Safety aspects of autonomous vehicles remain debated, but industry groups claim the technology could reduce road fatalities by removing human error from driving. — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026

The trade, approved under new team governor Patrick Dumont, has remained one of the most debated moves in recent NBA history, according to sports analysts, with lingering questions about communication within the organization and the long-term direction of the franchise. — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026

Verb

For most of the past five years, as the Nasdaq has more than doubled, investors have debated whether technology stocks are in a bubble. — Andrew Graham, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

In Egypt, certain pharaohs seemed, for reasons still debated, to tilt their own representations from the ideal to the natural. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Georgia’s most influential dishes could be debated vigorously, but there’s no question that food has been an integral part of the South’s culture. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 4 July 2026

For years, product adoption raced ahead while Congress debated causation and passed no meaningful national protections for children. — Ryan McBain, STAT, 2 July 2026

Roberts noted that race and citizenship had been fiercely debated in courts, speeches, Congress and battlefields because of Black Americans’ fight for freedom from slavery. — ABC News, 2 July 2026

The negative environmental impact of such facilities has been hotly debated, with the data centers causing continuous noise and requiring large amounts of electricity and fresh water to maintain. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 June 2026

Members of both parties should treat the CREATE AI Act as a rare chance to pass an AI bill that has already been debated, refined, and proven in pilot form. — Neil Björkman, Fortune, 1 July 2026

So now there’s something being debated called the REPAIR Act, and that stands for Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair, okay? — Joel Feder, The Drive, 1 July 2026