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 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 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
  1. defendants
  2. plaintiffs
  3. fighters
  4. contestants
  5. advocates
  6. brawlers
Noun
  • The Constitution protects defendants from being prosecuted for the same crime twice, but Mangione's dueling state and federal cases fall into one of the exceptions for double jeopardy.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The investors also allege in the suit that the defendants did not provide timely updates about the status of their investments and the company’s operations unless they were pressed.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of defendants
Noun
  • In doing so, the plaintiffs argued, the OCC is acting beyond the powers given to the agency.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • While court documents show there have been settlement discussions in some of the cases, some plaintiffs’ attorneys say the pace has been agonizingly slow—or nonexistent.
    — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of plaintiffs
Noun
  • The key question for the inflation-fighters at the Fed — not to mention for consumers struggling with high gas and grocery prices — is how quickly those one-time effects will fade.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Assad fled the capital Damascus as rebel fighters closed in nearly two years ago, and is currently in Russia, where he and his family were granted asylum on humanitarian grounds.
    — Kinda Makieh, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of fighters
Noun
  • Higgins was joined by Rausch and fellow Season 4 contestants Monét X Change, Tara Lipinski, Lisa Rinna, Rob Cesternino and Eric Nam for the Deadline conversation.
    — The Deadline Team, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The finale features four contestants competing on an American Ninja Warrior–style course, and the other 116 competitors lined up behind them in patriotic jerseys.
    — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of contestants
Noun
  • For advocates, the Pate case became another example of concerns that have been building for years.
    — Ginger Allen, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Parents and caregivers of intellectually disabled or non-speaking autistic people sometimes argue that neurodivergent self-advocates with low support needs can’t speak for those with disabilities that affect their daily lives in more profound ways.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of advocates
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
Definition of brawlers

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Cite this Entry

“Debaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debaters. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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