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
Amber Gaudet
updated October 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 Oct. 2025
The crux of the dispute focuses on Senate Rule XXII, which requires a 60-vote threshold to cut off debate.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Local law enforcement quickly disputed that claim.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
Helene survivors in North Carolina wait for millions At the center of this dispute is FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
—Amber Gaudet
updated October 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 Oct. 2025
The crux of the dispute focuses on Senate Rule XXII, which requires a 60-vote threshold to cut off debate.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Some have signed a petition disputing Merz’s comments.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Local law enforcement quickly disputed that claim.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
Legendary rapper Jay-Z came out in defense of Bad Bunny amid controversy over the Puerto Rican recording artist being tapped to perform at the Super Bowl LX halftime show.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Succeeding on OnlyFans in 2025 often means having a high tolerance for controversy, negative attention, the willingness to troll, and an ability to flip tsunamis of online haters into fans.—
Taylor Lorenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
De Silva, police noted, was an innocent bystander who was not involved in the quarrel and was not believed to have been the target.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Marta and Antonio, partners of many years, quarrel and suddenly break up.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Julie Mayhew, owner of Mayville Farm, a small farm sanctuary in Racine, said she's publicly questioned Shalom for years.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Bessent was questioned by Democrats and some Republicans for his support, in the context of Argentina being a competitor to the US in exporting soybeans to China.—
Daniel Flatley,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The pair bicker and bond their way through the whimsical Panda Kingdom, a vibrant world that blends the everyday with the extraordinary, carrying animals and humans alike into something at once magical and mundane.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Roberts and Tim Robbins play American journalists in Paris who lose their luggage and bicker over a hotel room and then wind up in bed together.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If the White House must be remade, let there be a plan; let it be debated; let the financing be transparent and free of kickbacks and corruption.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The Cleveland Browns drafted two rookie quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft, a move that was highly debated at the time and a storyline that hasn't gone away since.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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
-
The Packers owned a 22-19 lead in the fourth quarter when Steelers linebacker Nick Niemann was flagged for instigating an altercation.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Other behaviors that commonly cause altercations during flights include shouting, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and reclining your seat without consideration for the person sitting behind.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The same Philadelphia that witnessed the birth of American independence also nurtured competing visions of nationhood—ones that challenged the very foundations of who could claim full citizenship in the republic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
With no presumptive nominee or clear party leader after the 2024 presidential election loss, the Democratic field remains widely contested—a scenario that could reshape the party’s electoral strategy, policy direction and prospects for challenging Republican front-runners in upcoming races.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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