debaters

noun

plural of debater
as in defendants
a person who takes part in a dispute the debater was unable to come up with a convincing rebuttal for his opponent's argument

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 debaters The accomplishments of athletes are every bit as impressive and legitimate as those of dancers, debaters, and oboists. — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026 Research has previously shown that AI models can be extremely persuasive, more so than even the best human salespeople or debaters. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 Personal laptops allow debaters to research, organize evidence and prepare for tournaments during free periods. — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 The debaters themselves hold the incentive to say extreme statements to become a viral clip as well. — Vriti Shah, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026 Habitual debaters often blur these distinctions. — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 Judging simply by the crowd’s response, the debaters arguing that CSOs remain relevant won handily. — Justin Worland, Time, 20 Feb. 2026 Dylan Black, a SDA freshman who took the pilot course this year, said the class allowed students to learn more about each other and also become better debaters and thinkers. — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026 The fraud debaters offer many preferred litmus tests. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debaters
  1. defendants
  2. plaintiffs
  3. fighters
  4. contestants
  5. advocates
  6. brawlers
Noun
  • Newsom and other opponents of capital punishment have long argued that the process is costly, cruel and discriminatory, with death sentences disproportionately handed down to defendants of color.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • At the time, the defendants essentially treated the suit as sour grapes and a money grab by the estate.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of defendants
Noun
  • That denial turned on the plaintiffs’ failure to demonstrate an actual or imminent injury sufficient to seek emergency relief, rather than a determination that the administration’s demands were lawful.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, reached a settlement in a social media addiction lawsuit on Monday, resolving claims before the case was set to go to trial this month, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of plaintiffs
Noun
  • Other British Iron Age leaders also produced coins, but those portray clearly male fighters.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The disclosures began during Ethiopia’s 2020–22 war between federal forces and Tigrayan fighters.
    — Amir Aman Kiyaro, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of fighters
Noun
  • Cut Week will mark the biggest elimination in The Voice history, when each coach will send two singers straight through to Live Shows as five more contestants battle for one remaining spot on each team.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Uninterested Woman Game Show A classic game show premise, where our contestants are three scuzzy-looking men (Inde Navarrette, Jane Wickline, and Sarah Sherman) who really cannot just leave a married lesbian named Kelly (Saidah Belo-Osagie) alone.
    — Rima Parikh, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of contestants
Noun
  • Families are concerned that they will be immediately detained, advocates say.
    — Laura Romero, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Alderwoman Diesha Contee, whose ward includes most of the city’s public housing, said residents and their advocates are frustrated.
    — Nats_syndicator, Baltimore Sun, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of advocates
Noun
  • Directed by Kitao Sakura, the new take on the classic fighting games star Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Jason Momoa, 50 Cent and more as colorful brawlers who face off in a high-stakes tournament.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The episodes saw 12 brawlers face off in teams led by Flay, Maneet Chauhan and Antonia Lofaso, aiming to win over judges Williamson, Carson Kressley and Rodney Scott.
    — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Definition of brawlers

Browse Nearby Words

debater
debaters
debates
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Cite this Entry

“Debaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debaters. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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