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
Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 16 May 2025
Stephanie initially thinks that Emily killed him because of the custody dispute, but Charity later admits to killing him to help her sister.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
The three lawmakers at the scene — Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver — sharply dispute DHS’s characterization of the incident.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
But that same morning, the party suffered a setback that may be more consequential: losing control of the state board that sets voting rules and adjudicates election disputes.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 16 May 2025
Stephanie initially thinks that Emily killed him because of the custody dispute, but Charity later admits to killing him to help her sister.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
But others involved with the program dispute his version of events.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
The three lawmakers at the scene — Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver — sharply dispute DHS’s characterization of the incident.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
In December 2020 — shortly before Hilaria's heritage controversy emerged — Schumer posted some of Hilaria's family photos on her own Instagram page, later deleting them and apologizing to Hilaria, who spoke out about receiving negative comments.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
People.com,
7 May 2025
-
The new portraits were unveiled roughly one year after a portrait of King Charles by artist Jonathan Yeo was revealed at Buckingham Palace, stirring some controversy and debate for its strong imagery.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
Knowing her grandson was outside, Mette called out to the group as the commotion grew, demanding the quarrel stop and for her grandchild to leave, sources said.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
This time, however, testimony suggested a thornier layer to the quarrel: Phillip said the family had learned a few years earlier that the older brother was not Ferguson’s biological child.—
Christopher Goffard,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Some justices question why Trump admin did not seek direct ruling on birthright citizenship Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan asked why the Trump administration on Thursday sought to block nationwide injunctions rather than resolve whether a birthright citizenship order is constitutional.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
While the total square footage of office space owned and leased by the Department of General Services has increased, many state workers question whether there are enough desks for all their colleagues to be in offices in July.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
But if Trump follows through on his intent to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, that may leave Israel and Turkey to bicker over the country without adult supervision.—
Shira Efron,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Morrow and Turner bickered their way in and out of romance amid the tundra and always called one another by their last names, which was weirdly endearing.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
6 May 2025
Verb
-
The House Ways and Means Committee debated House Republicans' broad tax plan.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
-
Social Media Reacts Posters on the Reddit forum r/TSA debated whether people should have been prepared for the change.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 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
-
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 jury also saw photos of injuries Ventura sustained from an altercation in December 2011 and photos of her with a black eye mostly concealed by sunglasses in Jamaica in 2013 or 2014.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
-
In 2012 he was involved in a brawl with Drake and his entourage at a N.Y. nightclub that injured eight people, followed by an altercation with Frank Ocean over a parking space in West Hollywood in 2013.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
Dozens of lawsuits have been filed challenging Trump's executive orders and actions taken by his administration, including the dismantling of federal agencies and the crackdown on international students involved in pro-Palestinian campus protests.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
Immigrant rights groups challenged the change on behalf of the immigrants and their sponsors.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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