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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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
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The National Park Service is named as one of the defendants in the suit, and environmental groups and former park service staff have decried the event.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Democrats pointed out that the fund could be used to pay January 6 defendants who had assaulted police officers.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Talanoa Ili, a top-100 recruit in the Trojans’ vaunted 2026 class, joins Stanford quarterback Charlie Mirer as one of two lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit that takes aim at the system implemented since the settlement ushered in a new era of direct payment from universities to athletes.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
The judge’s ruling did not declare the laws a violation of pregnant Idahoans’ rights as requested by the plaintiffs.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Federal agents training alongside UFC fighters, a title contender working out inside FBI headquarters and a UFC event on White House grounds would have sounded like satire just a few years ago.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
There’s also the matter of Winnipeg’s usage of analytics, its quest to find the right trade partner, and how the Jets will add toughness to a roster that’s lost several fighters and hitters over the years.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
In the wake of the docuseries landing on Netflix earlier this year, several previous contestants and judges have spoken out about their time on the show and working with Banks in particular.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
-
After Love Is Blind season four, producers publicly responded to online conversations and allegations from former contestants regarding participant welfare, emphasizing the support protocols for cast members.—
Jacqueline Jevtich,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The most effective advocates aren’t necessarily the ones who know the most medical information.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
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Street safety advocates want more regular reporting.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 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 17 Jun. 2026.
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