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
Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Long before debates about sampling and credit dominated music discourse, Vanilla Ice made history in 1990 by becoming the first hip-hop artist to top the Billboard Hot 100.
—Ryan Brennan
april 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
The jokes are constant, the borough pride runs deep, and the competitive spirit that once fueled cafeteria debates now powers a movement that’s turning heads far beyond Brooklyn.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Apr. 2026
The recordings and their transcripts show how Szijjarto kept the Kremlin informed of EU debates regarding the future of Ukrainian membership in the confederation.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Today’s policy debates about resuming nuclear testing largely ignore these stories.
—Magdalena Stawkowski, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
The consequences of such a blatant federal power-grab extend beyond far domestic policy debates.
—John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
On its cinematic merits alone, the film would never have generated the profusion of think pieces, explainers, debates, and interviews that have both probed and promoted it in recent weeks.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
These are sacred debates reflecting the unfinished work of liberation.
—Jesse Jackson Jr, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
There is something deeply unsettling about watching human suffering unfold while the rest of the world debates it like a policy problem.
—Maliha Rahman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
At least 80% of voters support photo ID, polling that Republicans have repeatedly pointed to as the Senate debates the SAVE America Act, an election bill that Democrats claim is an attempt at voter suppression.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Dallas is $5 million behind on sales tax revenue, adding pressure as the city debates whether to repair or relocate its nearly 50-year-old City Hall.
—Everton Bailey Jr, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Instead, Europe often debates sovereignty while buying dependency.
—Wolfgang Oels, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
Springfield too often debates theory while communities experience consequences.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Salvadoran national’s case has become a flash point in immigration debates after he was mistakenly deported last year and forcibly brought back.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Long before debates about sampling and credit dominated music discourse, Vanilla Ice made history in 1990 by becoming the first hip-hop artist to top the Billboard Hot 100.
—Ryan Brennan
april 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
The jokes are constant, the borough pride runs deep, and the competitive spirit that once fueled cafeteria debates now powers a movement that’s turning heads far beyond Brooklyn.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Apr. 2026
The recordings and their transcripts show how Szijjarto kept the Kremlin informed of EU debates regarding the future of Ukrainian membership in the confederation.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Today’s policy debates about resuming nuclear testing largely ignore these stories.
—Magdalena Stawkowski, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
The consequences of such a blatant federal power-grab extend beyond far domestic policy debates.
—John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
On its cinematic merits alone, the film would never have generated the profusion of think pieces, explainers, debates, and interviews that have both probed and promoted it in recent weeks.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
These are sacred debates reflecting the unfinished work of liberation.
—Jesse Jackson Jr, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
There is something deeply unsettling about watching human suffering unfold while the rest of the world debates it like a policy problem.
—Maliha Rahman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
At least 80% of voters support photo ID, polling that Republicans have repeatedly pointed to as the Senate debates the SAVE America Act, an election bill that Democrats claim is an attempt at voter suppression.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Dallas is $5 million behind on sales tax revenue, adding pressure as the city debates whether to repair or relocate its nearly 50-year-old City Hall.
—Everton Bailey Jr, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Instead, Europe often debates sovereignty while buying dependency.
—Wolfgang Oels, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
Springfield too often debates theory while communities experience consequences.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debates
Noun
-
Some of those players have also been suing the NCAA about eligibility limits, and their right to do that has been a major sticking point in the congressional deliberations.—
MARK LONG,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Some have also been suing the NCAA about eligibility limits, and their right to do that has been a major sticking point in the Congressional deliberations.—
Mark Long,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Agencies that have seemingly avoided political controversies, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), would also see their budgets cut by over half.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Though Ye apologized to the Jewish community in 2023, the controversies continued.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Signaling progress in the peace talks, Axios reported that Washington and Tehran were engaged in discussions mediated by some Gulf states for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could end the conflict, although the odds for reaching a partial deal before the Tuesday deadline were slim.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, discussions about philosophy, politics and religion might be profound or thought-provoking to you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But paleontology didn’t really get going until the 19th century, when fuller fossils were uncovered and experts started to call these massive lizard-looking things dinosaurs, said Vicky Coules, a researcher at the University of Bristol in the UK who studies how dinosaurs became visual icons.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The eagles had the highest view count of any year-round nature livestream active on YouTube between last fall and this spring — at 243 million, according to Rebecca Mauldin, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who studies social connectedness.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One discusses how to leverage relationships to boost your career growth.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The trio discusses the study’s process and its findings.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other considerations include matching the frame to your mattress’s thickness and leaving about 24 inches of walking space around the bed.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Congress tasked the Fed with setting interest rates independent of political considerations.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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
-
Initial consultations and diagnostic testing are the portions most commonly included under standard plans.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Even without full procedure coverage, diagnostic bloodwork and initial consultations are often covered under standard plans.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debates. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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