discuss

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb discuss contrast with its synonyms?

The words argue and debate are common synonyms of discuss. While all three words mean "to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince," discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con.

discussed the need for a new highway

When can argue be used instead of discuss?

Although the words argue and discuss have much in common, argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held.

argued that the project would be too costly

When would debate be a good substitute for discuss?

The synonyms debate and discuss are sometimes interchangeable, but debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself.

debated the merits of the amendment
I'm debating whether I should go

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discuss The deployment comes as Trump prepares to meet with his national security team to discuss potential U.S. involvement in Israeli strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025 During the show, the cast members discussed the wedding episodes for Uncle Jesse (Stamos) and Aunt Becky (Loughlin). Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 21 June 2025 But now in late May, insider Jeff Sneider and John Rocha discussed the report again, saying that trustworthy sources said that the plan was for The Punisher was to join forces with Spider-Man to fight against The Hulk. Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 Now seems like a good time to look at each one and discuss the highlights of the different articles, player options and plug in rules on display in each. Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for discuss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discuss
Verb
  • However, whether this move will have a positive financial impact for the government has been debated by experts.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • While the concept of vibe coding remains ill-defined, and its merits are hotly debated within the enterprise software community, there is a broad consensus around the underlying goal of making AI agents easier to code and deploy.
    Maribel Lopez, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Kompany argued against that approach in the pre-game press conference yesterday, pointing to his experience playing with the national team against smaller nations.
    Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
  • Some within the Democratic Party are arguing that the California governor, seen as one of the contenders for the party’s nomination in 2028, is taking the right approach amidst the blowback.
    Filip Timotija, The Hill, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • For example, even Trump was shocked and in dismay when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was allegedly considering allowing Musk into a high-level meeting to review our war plans against China, which happens to be a major source of Musk’s business.
    Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
  • The remaining states -- New York, Oregon, Minnesota and Colorado -- have not yet submitted the identifiable data to CMS as part of the review, according to a public health official who has reviewed CMS' requests to the states.
    KIMBERLY KINDY, Arkansas Online, 14 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discuss. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on discuss

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