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
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Recent Examples of dispute
Larry Madowo, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
If a party's funders have hidden motives that stray from the desire to fairly resolve a dispute, trust in the system is put at risk.
—Michael Patrick Flanagan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 30 July 2025
During Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, many musical acts disputed the Republican ticket’s use of their music, including Jack White, Sinéad O’Connor, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, ABBA and Beyoncé.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
The deal did not materialize due to legal disputes and was subsequently scrapped after Keir Starmer became prime minister last July.
—Larry Madowo, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
If a party's funders have hidden motives that stray from the desire to fairly resolve a dispute, trust in the system is put at risk.
—Michael Patrick Flanagan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
With a tariff reprieve expiring Friday, details over a US-European Union agreement have also been disputed, tariffs on India remain unclear, and African economies are awaiting news.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 30 July 2025
During Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, many musical acts disputed the Republican ticket’s use of their music, including Jack White, Sinéad O’Connor, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, ABBA and Beyoncé.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
The controversy kicked off in June when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its plans to resume using diquat and other herbicides to combat the spread of invasive hydrilla along the river.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Super Micro has faced significant controversy over the past year, including allegations of accounting irregularities, delays in SEC filings, and scrutiny from short-sellers.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Harvard’s quarrel with Trump is the extreme example: in March, the administration revoked the university’s ability to grant travel visas, though Harvard’s deal with the University of Toronto may circumvent this issue for now.—
Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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The two quarrel over the Ukrainian leader’s outfit before trading jabs in the air with Trump firing a water gun at the Ukrainian president.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Parents had questioned the safety of the roof installation and associated smells, prompting the district to conduct air quality tests, according to an Aug. 1 letter to parents.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The crowd also questioned the president's approach to immigration enforcement.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sunny and Ulla have a tendency to bicker, and each can resort to brandishing cultural stereotypes as a cudgel when arguing with the other.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
3 Aug. 2025
-
That was the thing that gave us the ability to feel quite free in the scenes — not changing the words or changing the sense of the scene — but trust trying different things, having that bickering back and forth, finding that easygoing relationship between the two of them.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
The algorithm simply analyzed quantitative data according to parameters chosen by humans to produce a base recommendation that the board members could debate.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
6 Aug. 2025
-
As schools quietly revise DEI language, reinstate testing policies, and debate academic freedom, the stakes for college applicants and their families have never been higher.—
Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
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Seven decades later, this culture of disputation emerged as a central theme in Timothy Garton Ash’s The Magic Lantern, his eyewitness report on the Eastern European revolutions of 1989.—
Susie Linfield,
The New York Review of Books,
11 May 2022
Noun
-
The department did not say how many shots were fired during the altercation.—
Craig Shoup,
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
-
The victim had told police that there had been an altercation earlier in the day that involved her son, and that she had been invited to speak with the family about the earlier incident, the report states.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The sport challenges participants’ ability to problem solve and navigate outdoor challenges, all against the clock.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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In Europe, momentum remains challenging, driven by competitive pressures, the bank said.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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