Synonyms of debating

debating

verb

present participle of debate

1

as in pondering

to give serious and careful thought to

still debating what to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pondering
• contemplating
• considering
• studying
• questioning
• entertaining
• weighing
• exploring
• reviewing
• eyeing
• analyzing
• deliberating
• ruminating
• cogitating
• thinking (about or over)
• looking at
• meditating
• revolving
• mulling (over)
• wrestling (with)
• chewing on
• turning
• poring (over)
• digesting
• chewing over
• perpending
• reasoning
• kicking around
• reminiscing
• reflecting (on or upon)
• beating one's brains out (about)
• believing
• concluding
• opining
• cudgeling one's brains (about)
• musing (upon)
• speculating (about)
• dwelling (on or upon)
• second-guessing
• absorbing
• fixating (on or upon)
• conceiving
• obsessing (about or over)
• brooding (about or over)
• fretting (about or over)
• assimilating
• drinking (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• disregarding
• overlooking
• dismissing
• rejecting
• slighting
• pooh-poohing

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

• discussing
• arguing
• reviewing
• disputing
• canvassing
• agitating
• talking over
• bandying
• considering
• raising
• batting (around or back and forth)
• mooting
• speaking (about)
• talking (about)
• hashing (over or out)
• introducing
• weighing
• deliberating
• propounding
• stirring up
• broaching
• forging
• wrestling (with)
• talking out
• hammering out
• thrashing (out)
• chewing over

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of debating

The Presbyterian seminary student made the comment while debating legislation related to transgender people participating in school sports. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026

Agree On Decision Criteria First Agree on the decision criteria before debating the decision. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

The development is roiling investors who were betting US and South Korean chipmakers would have a dominant market share and pricing power, and are now debating whether cheaper, efficient chips from China could spoil that outlook. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Before approving the homes Connecticut needs, every community would need to spend years independently organizing, educating and debating. — David Rich, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Kotlikoff was scheduled to address the Faculty Senate on Wednesday before members begin debating the resolution. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

The remarks show that policymakers are moving from debating whether AI will disrupt jobs to deciding how to cushion the fallout, at a time when rapidly aging populations, particularly in Asia, already threaten to shrink workforces. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026

Innovation requires creative friction—people disagreeing, debating, and pushing boundaries. — Stephanie Kramer, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

The data from late 2025 and early 2026 points to a market that is no longer debating whether AI belongs in retail, but who gets to set the terms. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026