as in controversial
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1
as in questioned
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir
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2
as in bickered
to express different opinions about something often angrily
hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in debated
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
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Recent Examples of disputed
Mathew Schmalz, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026
After Thompson’s testimony, Muscolino called witnesses, which included city workers, who testified against George’s claim to owning the disputed roadway.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
The disputed ending of the AFCON tournament took another turn yesterday as Morocco was declared champions over Senegal, which was stripped of its title after walking off the pitch during the match.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
One of the most disputed moments of North Carolina history centers on whether a Nazi U-boat attacked a chemical plant near Kure Beach during World War II.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
After the disputed 2009 presidential election, in which an apparent reformist victory was thwarted, the streets became the only outlet for dissent.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Late Thursday night the Taliban’s military launched attacks on Pakistani positions along some sections of their porous and disputed border that wends 1,600 miles through rugged mountains and desert.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, after the disputed election of 1876, political support for Black voting rights collapsed, and Republicans withdrew military troops from the South.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
City Council documents said the disputed portion of the property falls completely outside Willow Park’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2026
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Amazon has previously disputed Bonta's claims.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Homeschooling advocates have disputed the claims and the OCA has refused to release the data.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
To escape North Korea, the Kims would need to evade patrol boats and cross what is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – a tense, disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea.
—Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
In a statement to ABC News, the defendants disputed Ireland's claims, and said an alleged $25 million fraud claim against Ireland filed last year was the catalyst for their dispute.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The couple, who relinquished their medical licenses shortly after their daughter's death, have disputed Scott's claims and maintained their love for their daughter and granddaughter.
—Juliet Pennington, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
His family has long disputed the ICE narrative that Carrillo-Lopez actively hit their vehicle.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
In a statement to CBS News, Accurate Energetic Systems CEO Wendell Stinson disputed the state's findings.
—Nicole Valdes, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
There was violence after the disputed 2025 reelection of 92-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who first came to power in 1982.
—Mathew Schmalz, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026
After Thompson’s testimony, Muscolino called witnesses, which included city workers, who testified against George’s claim to owning the disputed roadway.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
The disputed ending of the AFCON tournament took another turn yesterday as Morocco was declared champions over Senegal, which was stripped of its title after walking off the pitch during the match.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
One of the most disputed moments of North Carolina history centers on whether a Nazi U-boat attacked a chemical plant near Kure Beach during World War II.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
After the disputed 2009 presidential election, in which an apparent reformist victory was thwarted, the streets became the only outlet for dissent.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Late Thursday night the Taliban’s military launched attacks on Pakistani positions along some sections of their porous and disputed border that wends 1,600 miles through rugged mountains and desert.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, after the disputed election of 1876, political support for Black voting rights collapsed, and Republicans withdrew military troops from the South.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
City Council documents said the disputed portion of the property falls completely outside Willow Park’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
In court filings, the Newton Police Department has disputed the allegations, saying officers responded to multiple calls about roughly 100 spectators at Heartbreak Hill who were impeding the race.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Amazon has previously disputed Bonta's claims.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Homeschooling advocates have disputed the claims and the OCA has refused to release the data.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
To escape North Korea, the Kims would need to evade patrol boats and cross what is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – a tense, disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea.
—Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
In a statement to ABC News, the defendants disputed Ireland's claims, and said an alleged $25 million fraud claim against Ireland filed last year was the catalyst for their dispute.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The couple, who relinquished their medical licenses shortly after their daughter's death, have disputed Scott's claims and maintained their love for their daughter and granddaughter.
—Juliet Pennington, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
His family has long disputed the ICE narrative that Carrillo-Lopez actively hit their vehicle.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
In a statement to CBS News, Accurate Energetic Systems CEO Wendell Stinson disputed the state's findings.
—Nicole Valdes, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputed
Adjective
-
When Cuban refugees flooded Miami in 1980 after the Mariel boatlift, the county passed a controversial ordinance that largely banned the use of taxpayer money for programs conducted in languages besides English.—
David Ovalle,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And yet, there is worry that one of the new personalities might go rogue; do something that doesn’t adhere to an organization’s journalism standards; or, most challenging, do something controversial on their own platform that becomes associated with the mainstream news venue that employs them.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some commenters questioned whether the shift is less about convenience and more about pricing.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In contrast, lawmakers from both sides questioned Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Warner’s chief revenue and strategy officer Bruce Campbell in February, calling on regulators to heavily scrutinize that deal.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The pair have famously bickered over the past 20 years.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Pointing to elk heads mounted on the wall, the two jokingly bickered over who had bowhunted which.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From the start, experts have debated whether the unusually large group of chimps would split.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, the reasons for the decline are still debated.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The story was based on an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts and led to speculation about Robinson’s possible exoneration.—
Matthew Brown,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The story was based on an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts and led to speculation about Robinson's possible exoneration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jacas specifically highlighted the players’ buy-in and how the staff challenged him physically and mentally during his time in the facility.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Regulators have challenged specific Kalshi markets while allowing others to proceed, leaving the boundaries unsettled.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But as anyone who has argued over a set of new windows can attest, condo boards are a better example.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In 1978, during the Carter administration, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel argued that the president has the legal authority to pick an existing member of the Fed's board as acting chair if the role becomes vacant.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Aurelien Tchouameni, a player already at Real, is also being discussed in United meetings.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Dries and Charlap Hyman discussed the way client requests have changed over the years.—
The Editors of AD,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputed. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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