1
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter
a dispute over the proper pronunciation of "nuclear"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
after much dispute, the school committee decided that all backpacks would have to be stored in lockers during class hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to question
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to debate
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
in an extended session the city council disputed the need for a new high school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dispute
Matt O'Brien, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Instead, Stearns ruled, the government’s compliance with the order to facilitate her return resolved the remaining dispute.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Aria Bendix, NBC news, 6 Mar. 2026
That the ship was moving away has also been disputed.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
The dispute with the Pentagon has also further deepened Anthropic’s bitter rivalry with OpenAI that started when ex-OpenAI leaders, including Amodei, started Anthropic in 2021.
—Matt O'Brien, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Instead, Stearns ruled, the government’s compliance with the order to facilitate her return resolved the remaining dispute.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kennedy has disputed her account.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 6 Mar. 2026
That the ship was moving away has also been disputed.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
Khimberly’s death brings additional scrutiny to LAUSD at a time when the district is already entangled in other controversies.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Regardless of the controversy, related technologies are rapidly entering industrial deployment.—
,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two men were hospitalized early Sunday after a quarrel turned into a shootout on the 79th Street Red Line platform along the Dan Ryan Expressway.—
Dylan Olsen,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Herro posted a photo of that autographed Durant jersey on his Instagram on Sunday, acknowledging his respect for Durant hours after Saturday’s quarrel.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Adult witnesses whom Cox will be able to question include a mother who had a child under the age of 12 with her and allegedly saw Cox masturbating in the shower.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Over two days of questioning this week, senators and representatives pushed her to explain the ad campaign.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jokic and Oklahoma City’s players had bothered each other and bickered all night.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Her grandparents are constantly bickering, worn down by the pressures of keeping the family hotel afloat.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His statement was debated on the airwaves and online, and covered in outlets ranging from TMZ to The Hill, a website ostensibly devoted to Beltway politics.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The movie stars participated in a Variety & CNN town hall last week in which the pair debated how the pacing of movies and streaming series appeals to different generations who consume media on a wide range of mediums.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Jake is a single father who has brought Kristen up in the severe Calvinist tradition, marked by Bible disputations of Talmudic intricacy and by a radical detachment from secular and popular culture.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
During the altercation, police say one fatal shot was fired into the victim's stomach.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Then, Smith and the Jets’ relationship soured for good when Smith suffered a broken jaw in a locker room altercation with teammate IK Enemkpali in August of 2015.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Artificial intelligence systems do not possess human intelligence and therefore should not be granted rights or protections reserved for people, as evidenced by the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a case challenging the requirement that copyrightable works must have human authorship.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Others, like Gabriel Padilla, would rather stay and challenge the restrictions rather than leave their lifelong home.—
David Williams,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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