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
Republicans are debating how and whether to pass more major legislation.
—
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
According to the news release, this involved debating search-and-seizure questions, determining if proper authorization was given for a detective to search a suspect’s computer and presenting the evidence persuasively under real courtroom norms.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
With Washington already debating tighter restrictions on exporting AI chips and cloud services to China, Anthropic’s allegations are likely to feed calls for new guardrails—while giving critics one more chance to note the uncomfortable symmetry at the heart of modern AI.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Coaches on Denver’s staff, too, are still privately debating whether Payton will relinquish full offensive control.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
Nobody’s debating that the iPod will replace Apple Music.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Max Cobb, the general secretary of biathlon’s world governing body, the International Biathlon Union (IBU), isn’t debating whether women are strong enough to cover the distances.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The union is actively in talks with city staff as of Thursday and is debating a recent offer.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
The announcement was made Wednesday at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where leading tech executives, government officials and AI researchers are debating how to use AI to solve real-world problems.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
According to the news release, this involved debating search-and-seizure questions, determining if proper authorization was given for a detective to search a suspect’s computer and presenting the evidence persuasively under real courtroom norms.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
With Washington already debating tighter restrictions on exporting AI chips and cloud services to China, Anthropic’s allegations are likely to feed calls for new guardrails—while giving critics one more chance to note the uncomfortable symmetry at the heart of modern AI.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Coaches on Denver’s staff, too, are still privately debating whether Payton will relinquish full offensive control.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
Nobody’s debating that the iPod will replace Apple Music.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Max Cobb, the general secretary of biathlon’s world governing body, the International Biathlon Union (IBU), isn’t debating whether women are strong enough to cover the distances.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The union is actively in talks with city staff as of Thursday and is debating a recent offer.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
The announcement was made Wednesday at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where leading tech executives, government officials and AI researchers are debating how to use AI to solve real-world problems.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debating
Verb
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Brooks started thinking about happiness about 20 years ago, after a couple of hard career pivots left him pondering what came next.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
All these are questions not unlike the one faced by the late Jerry Buss in 1981 when pondering the notion of hiring a kid who never had coached at any level.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were also discussing nuclear negotiations with Iran in Geneva before turning to the war in Europe, met with Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The Orland High School District 230 board spent more than an hour Thursday discussing a proposal to add Arabic as a world language in district classrooms, but took no action for a second month.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For the unbeaten 24-year-old mixed martial artist, promoted by Combate Global, contemplating the alternative can be traumatic.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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In the play, which begins as historic epic and becomes, for Goethe, increasing personal and interior, Egmont gains perspective on the complexities of his place in politics by contemplating nature and being.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Attorneys for Brown, Raygoza and Samane spent the week arguing that the government’s case was blown out of proportion.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Clintons were subpoenaed to appear under oath in front of the committee for a deposition in January, but failed to comply, arguing the subpoenas were without legal merit.—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The crowd was slow to fill out FedEx Forum on Wednesday evening, an unsurprising development considering the two players whose jersey dotted the stands – Steph Curry and Ja Morant – were both inactive.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
At the time, Carvalho was an associate superintendent, and the emails were leaked as the district was considering him for the top job.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The producers—and hair and costume designers—also spent hours studying Carolyn's look for the park fight scene, Simpson says.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
27 Feb. 2026
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Linguist Carolina Aragon is the only outsider able to communicate with the three women after years studying and documenting their language.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The scandal intensifies scrutiny on the monarchy’s role and governance, with critics questioning how power is wielded within Britain’s upper echelons.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Thanks to the rich deals, Wall Street investors are questioning whether the rapdily growing AI boom is an economic bubble that will soon burst.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the toll of entertaining the masses was physical and unrelenting.—
Margaret Heidenry,
Vanity Fair,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Upgrade your outdoor space, refresh your living room, style a relaxing bedroom, and get your dining room ready for entertaining.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debating. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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