as in disputed
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1
as in pondered
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of debated
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 May 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
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
The referendum centers on long debated reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of Italy’s judiciary.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
As the influencer responded, followers shared their own experiences, challenged each other’s opinions and debated alternatives, surfacing objections that the brand’s own social and big-name campaigns had missed.
—Cory Hodkinson, Forbes.com, 20 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
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
That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 1 June 2026
The science, however, remains deeply debated, raising questions about how much room the segment has to grow.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 31 May 2026
That’s because language and sequencing is everything; every last word will be parsed and debated; every connection between one element and another scrutinized.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Although researchers have uncovered parts of the process, many details surrounding the original craftsmanship remain debated.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Other potential solutions are being debated too.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 May 2026
Few energy sources have been debated, challenged and revived as often as nuclear power.
—Elena Bou, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The circumstances of Uribe’s resignation have been debated for weeks in local Democratic circles.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
The exact reason why is debated by scientists, but theories include a huge collision in early Martian history, or unstable mantle plumes.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 25 May 2026
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 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
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
The referendum centers on long debated reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of Italy’s judiciary.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
As the influencer responded, followers shared their own experiences, challenged each other’s opinions and debated alternatives, surfacing objections that the brand’s own social and big-name campaigns had missed.
—Cory Hodkinson, Forbes.com, 20 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
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
That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
When the New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs in dominating fashion, fans debated whether the Knicks’ nine days off before the Conference Finals would cause rust to build or if the rest would give them an advantage.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 1 June 2026
The science, however, remains deeply debated, raising questions about how much room the segment has to grow.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 31 May 2026
That’s because language and sequencing is everything; every last word will be parsed and debated; every connection between one element and another scrutinized.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Although researchers have uncovered parts of the process, many details surrounding the original craftsmanship remain debated.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Other potential solutions are being debated too.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 May 2026
Few energy sources have been debated, challenged and revived as often as nuclear power.
—Elena Bou, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The circumstances of Uribe’s resignation have been debated for weeks in local Democratic circles.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
The exact reason why is debated by scientists, but theories include a huge collision in early Martian history, or unstable mantle plumes.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debated
Adjective
-
The Louisville Counter-Claim Here’s where the story gets genuinely interesting for anyone who loves a disputed first.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There was violence after the disputed 2025 reelection of 92-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who first came to power in 1982.—
Mathew Schmalz,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Board member Michael Milani pondered failed efforts to attract corporate headquarters and office spaces to the I-80 corridor, saying the village likely needed to establish a new identity for the area amid the post-COVID-19 surge in people working from home.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
-
Democrats for years pondered using regulatory pressure to silence purveyors of right-wing talk radio, including the late Rush Limbaugh.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Blue Origin has not publicly discussed the cause of the New Glenn failure, but speculation has focused on a possible anomaly in one of the seven main BE-4 engines.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
-
Issues discussed by the candidates include cutting lags in hiring, reforms using technology or other means and reaching out to property owners with more educational events about how the office works.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The 2001-02 Kings finished 61-21 to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference and pushed the Lakers to a seventh game in one of the most controversial conference finals in NBA history, a series Kings fans still believe was rigged against them.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
-
University officials based the invites on opinion polls and a controversial campaign fundraising formula.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Setting the table Regional leaders contemplated that very possibility before the West Sacramento minor league park was ever built.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Senate Republicans briefly contemplated a measure that would have provided a billion dollars to bolster ballroom security, but that provision has since been dropped from a larger GOP bill.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Some strategists argued that Beijing’s tightening also coincides with a broader push to channel investor enthusiasm toward China’s domestic technology champions and strategic industries -- for instance, a series of initial public offerings expected in coming months.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
Warikoo argued the bigger question for business leaders is not simply what AI can replace, but what kind of workforce society wants to build alongside it—especially as technology gets close to AGI.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The author could herself be considered predatorial, having written her own children in as the books’ protagonists, saddling them with a strange kind of fame.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
However, the report noted that all 10 cities were still considered more affordable than Los Angeles, with some by a wide margin.—
Lindsay Kornick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Upon his return to Pittsburgh, Negri studied musical composition at Carnegie Mellon University and performed extensively in the local music scene, which included playing with pianist Johnny Costa on the CBS TV station KDKA.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Advertisement How inequality erodes the ballot box In a landmark analysis using data from the V-Dem Institute, scholars Eli Rau and Susan Stokes studied democratic backsliding in dozens of countries since the turn of the 21st century.—
Sarita Gupta,
Time,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debated. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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