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
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The Supreme Court is taking up another gun rights dispute in a case that could lead to more handguns in public places.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Thune disputed Schumer’s characterization of the meeting.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
If implemented and successful in resolving claim disputes faster and in a fairer way for everyone involved, the Lone Star State could become a model for other states where homeowners have expressed frustration against carriers underpaying or denying damage claim repayments, like Florida.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The Supreme Court is taking up another gun rights dispute in a case that could lead to more handguns in public places.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
But Applegreen disputed that claim and argued Global Partners was promoting misrepresentations and inaccuracies.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Thune disputed Schumer’s characterization of the meeting.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
The controversy erupted when her fans, famously known as Swifties, found clues of AI usage in the twelve videos that housed the clues to the final puzzle.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
-
After the Bud Light ad campaign ran and online controversy began, Bryan posted on X condemning transphobia.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
However, lovers’ quarrels or difficulty dealing with children (hissy fits or meltdowns) might occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Canales’ trust in Young growing A week after Dave Canales called a couple of running plays on third-and-long — prompting a veteran coach with another team to question Canales’ faith in his quarterback — Canales was more aggressive with his play calling with the game on the line.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Once Gein's crimes came to light, he was questioned about a number of additional disappearances in the region.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That gave Congress more power but also offered it more opportunities to bicker and derail the budgetary process.—
Garret Martin,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In recent years, the companies have bickered about the rise of streaming services, in which the media companies are investing billions of dollars and which lure away cable and satellite customers.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On Sept 5, 2024, a year before his death, Charlie Kirk was debating at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The effect is to infuse the story with an undeniable and knowing nostalgia; how quaint, at Alma’s party, to find everyone debating matters of representational consequence.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 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
-
In May, Van Hecke was involved in an altercation in training with then-Brighton team-mate Joao Pedro.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Sanchez, 38, was involved in an altercation with the 69-year-old truck driver in the early-morning hours of Saturday, when police said the driver allegedly stabbed Sanchez while defending himself during a fight.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As if cybersecurity wasn’t challenging enough, fewer CISA employees are being asked to do more and more work protecting American cyberspace during the shutdown.—
Richard Forno,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The clash comes amid lawsuits from states and cities challenging the use of federal law enforcement and military forces in local jurisdictions.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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