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
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
The pair were scheduled to speak this week at the South by Southwest technology and business festival (SXSW) in London and address the Oxford Union, a debating society at the prestigious British university.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
However, the spending bill stipulates that $70 million from the BRIDGE Fund should go to a new program to fill gaps in food assistance programs, which led to some confusion among lawmakers debating the bill in the House.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Submission quality varies wildly, and committees end up correcting basic misunderstandings instead of debating strategy.
—David Talby, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
There’s no debating that Arri Romero is one of the best pitchers in Southern California.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
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
The pair were scheduled to speak this week at the South by Southwest technology and business festival (SXSW) in London and address the Oxford Union, a debating society at the prestigious British university.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
However, the spending bill stipulates that $70 million from the BRIDGE Fund should go to a new program to fill gaps in food assistance programs, which led to some confusion among lawmakers debating the bill in the House.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Submission quality varies wildly, and committees end up correcting basic misunderstandings instead of debating strategy.
—David Talby, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
There’s no debating that Arri Romero is one of the best pitchers in Southern California.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debating
Verb
-
It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
-
Recently, that other long-running music magazine published a list of the 100 Greatest Punk Albums and their picks left me pondering the exact boundaries of punk (which, admittedly, is not a very punk thing to do).—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The text messages in 2024 between Johnson and Duffey revealed that the two men used suggestive language while discussing women colleagues.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Orange County leadership has already begun discussing how to respond to the rise in injuries, and I am encouraged by their willingness to engage this issue with seriousness and care.—
Myron Rolle,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Russia warns of major Kyiv attacks The Kremlin urged foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv, warning of a major forthcoming attack, with analysts arguing that Russia is losing momentum in its war on Ukraine.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
-
The men were arguing about a conflict that their children were having, the mother told the TV station.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
29 May 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
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Other teams of astronomers have looked for clues about the movements of giant planets in the orbits of asteroids and other small objects, studying them like footprints to reconstruct how they might have been pushed or pulled into their current orbits by the gravity of giant planets on the move.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
-
By studying past hurricanes, AI models can identify similarities with current storms and help forecasters detect important changes earlier.—
Katie Garch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 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
-
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
-
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 11 Jun. 2026.
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