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
-
Gabe then sheds some tears while discussing his persona in the house, and says that he's now bonded with Jonna over their similar upbringing.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Dec. 2025
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The pair talk about everything, from fun chitchat to discussing schemes and how Riley can get his body healthy as his load increases.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That puts state attorneys general contemplating a lawsuit on the clock.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
-
To anyone contemplating leaving the city because of political biases, good night and good luck.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Thousands of supporters rallied behind Shalom Wildlife Zoo after neighbors filed a lawsuit arguing its operations weren't allowed on land meant for agriculture.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Mangione's attorneys are arguing that evidence recovered on the day of his arrest — including a magazine, a gun, a silencer and a notebook of Mangione's writings — should not be admissible in his state trial.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
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
-
Inserra described the changing signals as further confirmation of the dragging effect and a promising tool for studying spin and accretion.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
-
No shortcuts, no giving up - just more studying and even more determination.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
According to the affidavit, investigators confronted Holmes with the surveillance video and witness statements during questioning.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
As Fujimori’s lead slowly widened in the past few days, Sánchez intensified his efforts to rally supporters, questioning the integrity of the vote review process and framing the dispute as a broader fight for democratic legitimacy.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Players trudged out of Atlanta Stadium (AKA Mercedes-Benz Stadium) with their eyes fixed on the floor, not even entertaining the thought of engaging with questions.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
The Season’s characters, entertaining in their obnoxiously wealthy and drama-prone ways but not exactly dimensional, simply aren’t built for close scrutiny.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debating. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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