1
as in pondering
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discussing
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 debating
Muscle loss has been another persistent concern, with researchers debating how much of the weight lost on GLP-1 drugs is fat versus lean mass.
—
Allison Palmer
updated June 13, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
But people have been debating for years whether Spielberg really was the one calling the shots on the set.
—Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
Correspondent Mo Rocca goes inside the landmark with those debating its fate, and those reimagining its future.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 11 June 2026
But that’s what NHL teams must do every year, getting their scouts and executives together and debating players from different leagues to come up with a final draft list.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 11 June 2026
The world is still debating whether this is a short-term disruption while farmers are already being forced to make decisions today that will have consequences next year.
—John W.h. Denton Ao, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Regulators are debating whether the new data centers will strain the Texas power grid and affect electricity costs.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Vance and Rubio top the early list, but Republicans are already debating who can inherit Trump’s movement.
—Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
Uygur was also expected to give a speech at the Oxford Union, the prestigious student debating society.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Allison Palmer
updated June 13, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
But people have been debating for years whether Spielberg really was the one calling the shots on the set.
—Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
Correspondent Mo Rocca goes inside the landmark with those debating its fate, and those reimagining its future.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 11 June 2026
But that’s what NHL teams must do every year, getting their scouts and executives together and debating players from different leagues to come up with a final draft list.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 11 June 2026
The world is still debating whether this is a short-term disruption while farmers are already being forced to make decisions today that will have consequences next year.
—John W.h. Denton Ao, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Regulators are debating whether the new data centers will strain the Texas power grid and affect electricity costs.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Vance and Rubio top the early list, but Republicans are already debating who can inherit Trump’s movement.
—Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
Uygur was also expected to give a speech at the Oxford Union, the prestigious student debating society.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debating
Verb
-
Meanwhile, as the Wall Street Journal reports, executives at OpenAI are pondering whether to kick off a price war with the company’s biggest competitor, Anthropic.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
-
It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Pimentel argued the school failed to intervene despite students openly discussing the security guard's behavior.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
The scene of the two boys discussing Kayda is kind of funny, especially the number of times Zach laughs and encourages Bryce to go for it.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
Verb
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That puts state attorneys general contemplating a lawsuit on the clock.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
-
With geopolitical tensions elevated, a high oil price and long-term interest rate projections uncertain now, many may be understandably contemplating a savings strategy shift.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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According to charging documents, the two men began arguing before Harmon allegedly retrieved a tire iron from his vehicle and struck the victim three times in the head.—
Caroline Foreback,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
Musk has proven the power of his RDF before – with one analysis arguing Tesla’s stock market capitalization would be $500 billion lower without Musk at the helm.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Well, Texas Tech's most prominent booster, Cody Campbell, has some very pointed comments for those schools, conferences, or institutions considering taking action against the program.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
Messengers could also be faced with considering a constitutional amendment proposed by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler that would ban women from serving in primary church leadership roles within the denomination.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
After studying in the northern English city, which is around 40 miles north of Manchester, Hockney went on to hone his craft at the Royal College of Art in London.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
-
Infoblox Threat Intel tracks cybercriminal activity partly by studying DNS, the system that helps devices find websites online.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Under prosecutors’ questioning, the witness agreed that his previous belief that Anthony was surrounded when the stabbing happened was incorrect.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
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After questioning witnesses, detectives determined Williams had gotten into a domestic dispute with another person who was with Taylor, and Williams pulled out a semiautomatic rifle and fired multiple shots, shooting Taylor in the back.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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At a steakhouse, tableside presentation, professional servers and beautiful slabs of beef start entertaining diners before the first bite.—
David Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Cozy and casual, the round bar and bistro-style wood tables are usually packed with workers at the end of the day, softball teams celebrating a win, locals from the neighborhood, people who left but can’t stay away for long, and entertaining local characters that defy description.—
Tanya Edwards,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debating. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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