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
Relevance
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
Habitual debaters often blur these distinctions.
—
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
High school debaters are much more polite and reasonable, even compared to presidential candidates, the group’s president, Walt Breitinger, observed.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 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
The college boys would gather around a charpoy set in front of the food stall, playing for cups of tea or plates of biscuits, contemplating the next move with the seriousness of parliamentary debaters, discussing strategy.
—Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Her debaters warned of a slippery slope.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
High school debaters are much more polite and reasonable, even compared to presidential candidates, the group’s president, Walt Breitinger, observed.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 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
The college boys would gather around a charpoy set in front of the food stall, playing for cups of tea or plates of biscuits, contemplating the next move with the seriousness of parliamentary debaters, discussing strategy.
—Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Her debaters warned of a slippery slope.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debaters
Noun
-
Witnesses testify about defendants’ work ethic On Wednesday, Creeden’s wife, Peggy, told jurors that the two met in New Jersey and have been together for 53 years.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
-
Iwamasa was one of five defendants charged in connection with Perry’s death.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Regarding the plaintiffs’ witnesses, Holm said the jury had heard much speculation from people who were not in Grossman’s head.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
-
The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the Physician Associates Education Association (PAEA) filed a lawsuit aimed at reversing a Department of Education regulation that the plaintiffs claim violates the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The military isn’t the only government entity working with the UFC — the FBI recently hosted a training partnership with UFC fighters.—
Paula Chesley,
STAT,
3 June 2026
-
Given Coker’s track record and the desire to build attention for the new MMA league and its fighters, tournaments are expected to play a key role.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans also noticed that the show didn’t tag any of its contestants’ Instagram handles in this year’s announcement and that comments are already restricted on the Islanders’ personal pages, leading to speculation that the show has put new social media safeguards in place to alleviate harassment.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
-
The pageant, for 14- to 20-year-old participants, held its fourth edition in early May with contestants from 21 countries.—
Sarah Moreno
May 31,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Both plans encountered staunch opposition from environmental groups and farming advocates and were eventually withdrawn.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
-
His experience highlights what many disability advocates refer to as the hidden labor of accessibility.—
Keely Cat-Wells,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Displacing the ’90s boom bap and aughts brawlers of her last album is a streak of assiduous ’80s R&B exercises that foreground her gains as a vocalist more often than her gobstopping wordplay as a rapper.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debaters. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
