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
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
Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Aurora previously sought a recount after the 2020 decennial census showed the city had a population of around 180,000, down from 197,000 in 2010 — numbers that city officials have disputed, arguing that the city’s population is actually closer to the levels found in the 2010 census.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The topic of Taiwan, a democratic island whose independence is disputed by China, is a top concern of Xi.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
None of those numbers were disputed.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 May 2026
The extent of the spill was disputed Sunday by the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which said only 10 barrels were spilled and it was contained the same day it was detected May 1.
—ABC News, 10 May 2026
Washington awaits Iran’s response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
—Adam Schreck, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Iranian officials disputed those claims.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 5 May 2026
The story of how the Declaration of Independence came to be written has been told many times but remains disputed, if not hotly, then lukewarmly.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 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
The extent of the spill was disputed Sunday by the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which said only 10 barrels were spilled and the spill was contained the same day it was detected, May 1.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Aurora previously sought a recount after the 2020 decennial census showed the city had a population of around 180,000, down from 197,000 in 2010 — numbers that city officials have disputed, arguing that the city’s population is actually closer to the levels found in the 2010 census.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The topic of Taiwan, a democratic island whose independence is disputed by China, is a top concern of Xi.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
None of those numbers were disputed.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 May 2026
The extent of the spill was disputed Sunday by the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which said only 10 barrels were spilled and it was contained the same day it was detected May 1.
—ABC News, 10 May 2026
Washington awaits Iran’s response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
—Adam Schreck, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Iranian officials disputed those claims.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 5 May 2026
The story of how the Declaration of Independence came to be written has been told many times but remains disputed, if not hotly, then lukewarmly.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputed
Adjective
-
The pitch is for the old Applied Composites site, on which a controversial development project called the Lexington Club received city approval more than a decade ago, but didn’t ultimately come about, according to the city.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Other roasters had also poked fun at Hart for taking part in the controversial fest.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
School Committee members extensively questioned the policy Wednesday, digging into how the success of the new guardrails would be monitored, how equity would be ensured across groups like multilingual learners and students with less technological resources and more.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2026
-
Less than a week after that announcement, DIA put plans to commission a feasibility study on hold after Denver City Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore questioned why the airport didn’t first consult the community and residents around DIA.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
7 May 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
-
Strait to Hell, a high-octane, flag-waving, boots-on-the-ground simulator where freedom isn’t debated, it’s deployed.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Board members debated the organization chart two weeks ago and had initially planned to hold a non-voting workshop on Monday, with a final vote next week.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, le Polain said test results were also pending for one person from the ship with an inconclusive case.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The lab results of the American who tested positive were inconclusive, WHO spokesperson Sarah Tyler said Monday.—
Mike Corder,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
But Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace hit three-pointers while Smart was fumbling the ball and James and Hachimura were missing shots, while an Oklahoma City 8-0 run eventually gave them another 13-point lead that was never again challenged.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
No other container shipping firm has challenged the constitutionality of the FMC’s legal proceedings.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Albares argued that none of this ought to threaten Spain’s many bonds to the United States.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
While the election result will not change the composition of Britain's parliament or its government, some lawmakers have argued the outcome was a protest from the electorate against Starmer's policy mix.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The leaders discussed trade on Thursday, with Xi saying that China’s door of opportunity will open wider.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
In fact, the engagement party provides Testaments with the opportunity to introduce several characters who are often discussed but rarely seen.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputed. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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