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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dispute
Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Congress has not funded the Department of Homeland Security because of a dispute about immigration enforcement.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Harvard disputes the allegations and has won some legal victories, but the case tests the boundaries of federal authority over universities.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
That unresolved dispute serves as the backdrop to the Miami foreclosure suit, filed on behalf of CIM and CMMT by the Miami office of the Greenspoon Marder law firm.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Congress has not funded the Department of Homeland Security because of a dispute about immigration enforcement.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard disputed the missile claim on Friday.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Harvard disputes the allegations and has won some legal victories, but the case tests the boundaries of federal authority over universities.
—Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
There have been controversies and debates over the extent to which the military should accommodate religious expression.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That measure has been consistent in recent months despite a cascade of actions, including confrontations over Greenland and an attack on Venezuela, that have generated controversy at home and abroad.—
Linley Sanders,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In an inscription outside of the current building, writer Tom Corcoran claims Buffett once escaped the apartment upstairs from the bar after a lovers’ quarrel and that patrons often stood on bricks to stay out of runoff from the overflowing bathrooms while gambling on games of pool.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Some also questioned why a district in the heart of Silicon Valley is facing financial strain.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Emails show that Sands questioned whether police looked at Jalloh for an unrelated stabbing homicide in June.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Marketa Daley’s three children weren’t quite old enough to bicker with each other when the family began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in March 2022.—
David Gleisner,
Outside,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Ukraine's European allies have promised to maintain their steadfast support, but bickering over a major 90 billion euro ($106 billion) European Union loan to cover Kyiv's military and economic needs for two years has reflected the mounting challenges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As the next Farm Bill is debated, will there be a call for funding food stamps to end hunger in the world’s wealthiest country?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Richard Sher’s panel of Jimmy Mathis, Mary Koch, Adam Wood and Barry Gogel debate this controversial topic.—
Bill Wachsberger,
Baltimore Sun,
21 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
-
Deputies responded on the night of March 20 to an address along 6th Avenue following reports of a verbal altercation at a gathering.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Not for nothing — no one in this altercation is wearing a helmet on their bike!—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Experts estimate that their new world tour could become the best-selling ever, challenging Taylor Swift’s $2 billion record, while Bloomberg predicted that today’s launch concert alone could generate as much as $177 million in economic activity for Seoul.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
While there’s been endless speculation in the tennis world about his potential rise to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, Fonseca simply believes in himself.—
Nick Remsen,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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