as in defendant
a person who takes part in a dispute
there were only three disputants in the argument, but they made enough noise for a dozen
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Recent Examples of disputant
The Jay Treaty asked the disputants merely to start a process leading to the appointment of arbitrators qualified to decide their disputes fairly and finally.
—
Tom Bell, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025
The audience and actor are like disputants kept in different rooms, forbidden to see each other fully.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
However, if the harassment or dispute is simply two neighbors being un-neighborly toward each other, the HOA’s best response may be to offer a volunteer board member to meet with the disputants to try to host a discussion between them.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
My disputant’s particular problem wasn’t with Carpenter’s voice but with its anodyne middle-of-the-road context (both musically and culturally).
—Wesley Stace, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2018
The debate over medicine today is like that baby, but with disputants who won’t fall for Solomon’s trick.
—Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, National Review, 24 Oct. 2017
One way for other financial centres, such as Dubai and Singapore, to compete is by becoming hubs for arbitration—by agreeing to abide by the decision of a tribunal, disputants can bypass courts entirely.
—The Economist, 31 Aug. 2017
Tom Bell, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025
The audience and actor are like disputants kept in different rooms, forbidden to see each other fully.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
However, if the harassment or dispute is simply two neighbors being un-neighborly toward each other, the HOA’s best response may be to offer a volunteer board member to meet with the disputants to try to host a discussion between them.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
My disputant’s particular problem wasn’t with Carpenter’s voice but with its anodyne middle-of-the-road context (both musically and culturally).
—Wesley Stace, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2018
The debate over medicine today is like that baby, but with disputants who won’t fall for Solomon’s trick.
—Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, National Review, 24 Oct. 2017
One way for other financial centres, such as Dubai and Singapore, to compete is by becoming hubs for arbitration—by agreeing to abide by the decision of a tribunal, disputants can bypass courts entirely.
—The Economist, 31 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputant
Noun
-
Earlier this year, a Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge ruled that the most serious charges against four of six defendants in the shooting will be held for trial.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Merriweather’s office has dismissed about 106 homicide charges since 2020 — not including charges in which a defendant died, pleaded guilty, or wasn’t mentally competent to stand trial.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All three lawsuits allege retaliation by town officials against the plaintiffs.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Arguments surrounding coercion, particularly when an abusive partner controls a victim’s reproductive care, became a major theme for the plaintiffs’ legal case.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
High school debaters are much more polite and reasonable, even compared to presidential candidates, the group’s president, Walt Breitinger, observed.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Judging simply by the crowd’s response, the debaters arguing that CSOs remain relevant won handily.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Martha’s father, a law professor, had trained her to be a rational, step-by-step arguer.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just like that, her career as a professional fighter was over.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
By Saturday, the Pentagon had surged more than 150 aircraft to join the effort to rescue the weapons system officer, Dude 44B, including 64 fighter jets, four bombers, 48 refuelers, 13 rescue planes and 26 intelligence and jamming aircraft, sources told CBS News.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Someone handed the contestant, now with the blindfold removed, a giant check.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The show starts with 16 single contestants, where four are coupled up, and the rest are single.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the work stoppage dragged on, bar advocates and state legislators continued to point fingers at one another.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Health advocates and community leaders came together to create the group in response the county experiencing a nearly $50 million decrease in funding for services and its health workforce.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputant. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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