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
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
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
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
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Kalina disputed LeFebvre’s claim that the records were outside CLERB’s authority.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
Bondi, who didn’t meet with reporters after her interview, disputed Garcia’s characterization.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Mamdani has publicly disputed that the two will be similar despite their names.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 29 May 2026
In Washington, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin disputed claims of subpar conditions and denied that detainees are protesting by going on a hunger strike.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 28 May 2026
In a dispute earlier this year, an audit — which the mayor’s office disputed — found that the actual cost is higher.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
But a claim can extend beyond it if liability is heavily disputed.
—Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Adjective
The Louisville Counter-Claim Here’s where the story gets genuinely interesting for anyone who loves a disputed first.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
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
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
What isn’t disputed, however, is Wilimowski’s extraordinary footballing ability.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Kalina disputed LeFebvre’s claim that the records were outside CLERB’s authority.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
Bondi, who didn’t meet with reporters after her interview, disputed Garcia’s characterization.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Mamdani has publicly disputed that the two will be similar despite their names.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 29 May 2026
In Washington, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin disputed claims of subpar conditions and denied that detainees are protesting by going on a hunger strike.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 28 May 2026
In a dispute earlier this year, an audit — which the mayor’s office disputed — found that the actual cost is higher.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
But a claim can extend beyond it if liability is heavily disputed.
—Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputed
Adjective
-
The 2001-02 Kings finished 61-21 to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference and pushed the Lakers to a seventh game in one of the most controversial conference finals in NBA history, a series Kings fans still believe was rigged against them.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
-
University officials based the invites on opinion polls and a controversial campaign fundraising formula.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
But Florida’s family court guardians ad litem are not required to have any training in mental health or domestic abuse, while experts have long questioned the extent to which judges should rely on psychologists’ recommendations.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
-
Democrats and some Republicans questioned using taxpayer money for the massive project, and Republicans did not include it in the final bill when it was released on Wednesday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The video went viral, and the two eventually bickered about it on social media later Sunday night.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
My parents bickered constantly, my sister was demanding and always in a conflict with them, and my grandparents would scream at each other.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
When the New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs in dominating fashion, fans debated whether the Knicks’ nine days off before the Conference Finals would cause rust to build or if the rest would give them an advantage.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
1 June 2026
-
The science, however, remains deeply debated, raising questions about how much room the segment has to grow.—
Brandon Gomez,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the meantime, that war drew to an inconclusive close in 1764.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Midterm primary election night came to a late and inconclusive end Tuesday as multiple races were unable to reach a clear winner.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The Justice Department then challenged Vermont’s law, with more than 20 state attorneys general intervening.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
Gyasi’s case is among the latest to be challenged in a federal court system struggling to keep up with the administration’s aggressive moves to maximize the number of immigrants removed from the US and increase vetting of visitors on nonimmigrant visas.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Some strategists argued that Beijing’s tightening also coincides with a broader push to channel investor enthusiasm toward China’s domestic technology champions and strategic industries -- for instance, a series of initial public offerings expected in coming months.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
Warikoo argued the bigger question for business leaders is not simply what AI can replace, but what kind of workforce society wants to build alongside it—especially as technology gets close to AGI.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Blue Origin has not publicly discussed the cause of the New Glenn failure, but speculation has focused on a possible anomaly in one of the seven main BE-4 engines.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
-
Issues discussed by the candidates include cutting lags in hiring, reforms using technology or other means and reaching out to property owners with more educational events about how the office works.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputed. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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