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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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
Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
The disputed 2024 presidential election ignited nationwide protests and a sweeping government crackdown.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
Myanmar’s military rulers claim lead in disputed poll Myanmar’s military rulers claimed to have dominated the first phase of national elections widely dismissed as a sham but which were nevertheless notable for China’s growing role.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Beijing has also in recent years presided over a policy of relocating villages to fortify or in some cases expand its claim along disputed boundaries.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Several years later, in 2010, the detention of a Chinese fisherman by Japanese forces in disputed water caused a temporary embargo on rare earth exports, something Japanese industry is heavily reliant on.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
The blast has rattled nerves in India, which almost went to war with its neighbor and fellow nuclear power, Pakistan, over an April terrorist attack in the disputed region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2025
Tanzania is one of several African countries to hold disputed elections this year that have resulted in unrest.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
In disputed territories, the drone’s ability to deliver real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities could give operators a significant tactical advantage, reinforcing control over contested zones, the South China Morning Post writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
The utility disputed that claim, saying the outage was an internal problem at the jail.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
In response to congressional reaction, Rubio disputed the claim that the land operation in Venezuela required congressional approval.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Kelly and others who participated in the video have disputed that claim.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2026
Although the results of his 2024 reelection are disputed, a number of governments — China, Russia and Egypt among them — recognized his victory.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was reelected last month, but the vote was marred by violence — widespread protests were met with bloody crackdowns, reportedly killing 800, although the government disputed the figure.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
He was accused of harassing the troops, though O'Hara disputed the claim.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
The domestic violence case was dismissed and the theft charge had yet to be disputed in court.
—Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Cambodia was awarded sovereignty over the disputed area, including the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, in 1962 by the International Court of Justice.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
The disputed 2024 presidential election ignited nationwide protests and a sweeping government crackdown.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
Myanmar’s military rulers claim lead in disputed poll Myanmar’s military rulers claimed to have dominated the first phase of national elections widely dismissed as a sham but which were nevertheless notable for China’s growing role.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Beijing has also in recent years presided over a policy of relocating villages to fortify or in some cases expand its claim along disputed boundaries.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Several years later, in 2010, the detention of a Chinese fisherman by Japanese forces in disputed water caused a temporary embargo on rare earth exports, something Japanese industry is heavily reliant on.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
The blast has rattled nerves in India, which almost went to war with its neighbor and fellow nuclear power, Pakistan, over an April terrorist attack in the disputed region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2025
Tanzania is one of several African countries to hold disputed elections this year that have resulted in unrest.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
In disputed territories, the drone’s ability to deliver real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities could give operators a significant tactical advantage, reinforcing control over contested zones, the South China Morning Post writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Walz and other state officials have disputed that estimate.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
The utility disputed that claim, saying the outage was an internal problem at the jail.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
In response to congressional reaction, Rubio disputed the claim that the land operation in Venezuela required congressional approval.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Kelly and others who participated in the video have disputed that claim.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2026
Although the results of his 2024 reelection are disputed, a number of governments — China, Russia and Egypt among them — recognized his victory.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was reelected last month, but the vote was marred by violence — widespread protests were met with bloody crackdowns, reportedly killing 800, although the government disputed the figure.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
He was accused of harassing the troops, though O'Hara disputed the claim.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
The domestic violence case was dismissed and the theft charge had yet to be disputed in court.
—Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputed
Adjective
-
The Golden Globes' new category drew backlash after controversial stars Joe Rogan, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, and more made the eligibility shortlist.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
-
These ingredients appear on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ list of pregnancy-safe options but are slightly more controversial, so check with your ob-gyn first.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Parents have also questioned why no new security procedures have been put in place to improve locker room supervision or restrict cell phone use among the staff.—
Briseida Holguin,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This defiance has rallied Danes behind her, though critics have questioned her ability to defend the homeland.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.—
Rukmini Callimachi,
New York Times,
9 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
-
The airstrikes were not authorized by Congress, and their legality has been debated.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Regardless of political party or ideology, Americans have the right to witness important issues like crime and drugs debated in an open and fair forum.—
Richard Cherwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
As for what kind of case Greene will build to defend Reiner, the legal tea leaves remain inconclusive.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Videos of the encounter posted on social media are inconclusive, but if the animals were indeed Burmese pythons, this would likely be the first time aquatic courtship behavior was documented in Florida.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Avs challenged for offsides, and the goal was taken off the board.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The 90-minute delay challenged everyone in the arena to find ways to kill time.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the department has argued the sheer volume of documents that need to be found, uploaded, reviewed, redacted and published has forced it to instead release the files online on a rolling basis, with a series of enormous document dumps over the course of several days in mid-December.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Skelton argued that the city’s code lays out a specific process for declaring an animal as dangerous, which often entails a day in municipal court.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thursday’s report is not the first time the possibility of Trump pardoning Combs has been publicly discussed.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This tension was on display in Paris this week, when representatives from 35 countries, including the US, discussed how to guarantee Ukraine’s post-war security in the event of a peace deal with Russia.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputed. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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