1
as in deliberations
a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something
after much debate, I decided to get the chocolate ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter
there was a great deal of debate over the need for cutting costs by eliminating some programs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in discussions
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
there was no debate over the expenditures before the vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in studies
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discusses
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debates
Melissa Galbraith, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
He was known for making regular appearances on conservative media and hosting debates on college campuses.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Rutledge referred to Kirk's reputation as an enthusiastic debater and turning those debates into viral social media content.
—Ella McCarthy, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2025
Kirk, who has built a following engaging in debates on college campuses around various political and social issues, was shot at Utah Valley University.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 10 Sep. 2025
Some House Republicans chafed at the accusation during floor debates this week.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
These views have remained steady for three years, even as state-level policies and political debates have taken the opposite direction.
—Brian Castrucci, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Kirk also often went viral on social media for his debates with more liberal-leaning students at college campuses around the country.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
These are the kinds of debates Evans and others behind the scenes at Leeds had to have this summer.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
During such events, Kirk debates students and others about myriad of topics, some of them controversial.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
In the second episode, which premiered on August 6, Cartman imitates Kirk with a podcast and debates college students.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Topline Wholesale prices declined unexpectedly in August after Wall Street anticipated an increase, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whose report on consumer prices comes later this week as the Federal Reserve debates interest rates.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In another book, Miriam Toews’s novel Women Talking, which is based on a true story, a group of Mennonite women debates whether to flee their isolated community—or stay and fight—after a group of men are caught drugging and raping them.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Alcaraz and Sinner are early enough in their careers that debates around their legacies feel silly.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Kirk became a Republican hero for motivating and organizing young conservatives through debates and a podcast that criticized Democrats and the left.
—Melissa Galbraith, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
He was known for making regular appearances on conservative media and hosting debates on college campuses.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Rutledge referred to Kirk's reputation as an enthusiastic debater and turning those debates into viral social media content.
—Ella McCarthy, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2025
Kirk, who has built a following engaging in debates on college campuses around various political and social issues, was shot at Utah Valley University.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 10 Sep. 2025
Some House Republicans chafed at the accusation during floor debates this week.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
These views have remained steady for three years, even as state-level policies and political debates have taken the opposite direction.
—Brian Castrucci, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Kirk also often went viral on social media for his debates with more liberal-leaning students at college campuses around the country.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
These are the kinds of debates Evans and others behind the scenes at Leeds had to have this summer.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
As Washington debates the future of the space agency, the Perseverance team can only go about its business, sending its rover this way and that, to sniff out clues to Mars’s ancient past.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
During such events, Kirk debates students and others about myriad of topics, some of them controversial.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
In the second episode, which premiered on August 6, Cartman imitates Kirk with a podcast and debates college students.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Topline Wholesale prices declined unexpectedly in August after Wall Street anticipated an increase, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whose report on consumer prices comes later this week as the Federal Reserve debates interest rates.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In another book, Miriam Toews’s novel Women Talking, which is based on a true story, a group of Mennonite women debates whether to flee their isolated community—or stay and fight—after a group of men are caught drugging and raping them.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Alcaraz and Sinner are early enough in their careers that debates around their legacies feel silly.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debates
Noun
-
The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, cautioned that the talks were in the early stages and that no proposal has been finalized.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Senior Justice Department officials have held internal deliberations in recent days over potentially issuing a rule that could restrict transgender individuals from being able to own firearms, two officials familiar with the discussions confirmed Thursday to ABC News.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kraft later said he was disappointed in how the docuseries focused on controversies instead of the team’s success.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Canceled also highlights other controversies in Deen's career, including her public spats with Bourdain, the world-traveling chef and CNN travel documentarian who later died by suicide in 2018.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Share discoveries and ask questions in team discussions.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Israel’s escalating assault on Gaza City came as Rubio arrived in the country for discussions about the war and the hostages.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lloyd Meyer, a Notre Dame University professor of law who studies nonprofit organizations, said hospitals’ community benefit vary.—
Megan Garnai,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The 6-foot-6 centre who studies Tage Thompson YouTube videos in his spare time could be a dominant junior hockey player this season.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This article discusses memory and chip and system design talks at the 2025 AI Infra Summit in Santa Clara, CA by Kove, Pliops and Cadence.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This article discusses the first four episodes of Prime Video’s The Girlfriend.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But once it’s been sourced, there are a ton of considerations and intricacies before it can actually be used.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
This momentum persisted into 2025, with net acquisitions of 10 tonnes in July alone, driven by diversification strategies and geopolitical considerations.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There is no time limit on how long such consultations could take, and experts say the language is flexible enough to allow each member to decide how far to go in responding to armed aggression against another.—
Matt Spetalnick,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
All of the other rare invocations of Article 4 were by Turkey, which asked for consultations related to threats coming from Iraq and Syria.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debates. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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