1
as in questioning
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bickering
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 discussing
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disputing
The government is appealing that decision, disputing that Parias was deprived of access to counsel.
—
Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 20 June 2026
Daveigh Chase‘s former manager and longtime friend John Ryan is disputing claims made on a GoFundMe page by the late Lilo & Stitch actress’ boyfriend.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 June 2026
For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president's 2020 election.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 16 June 2026
For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president’s 2020 election lies.
—ABC News, 16 June 2026
Pino’s attorneys have been disputing the characterization of Cutter Bank as a narrow passage to counter the state’s argument that Pino was reckless by not driving on the right side, the correct side, of the channel for 17 seconds before hitting the piling.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The skeptical reader could be an auditor, a regulator, a litigator, a board, an acquirer doing diligence or a customer disputing a charge.
—Anna Meadows, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Reading these conversations feels like attending a party at which each new guest talks over the one before, disputing and undermining, gossiping and bringing into doubt the fundamental purpose of their coming together.
—Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Oral history is perhaps the only field where the sources talk back to the historian, confronting, disputing, disrupting, and sometimes resisting the historian’s understanding of the past (Frisch 1990; Shopes 2012).
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026
Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 20 June 2026
Daveigh Chase‘s former manager and longtime friend John Ryan is disputing claims made on a GoFundMe page by the late Lilo & Stitch actress’ boyfriend.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 June 2026
For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president's 2020 election.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 16 June 2026
For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president’s 2020 election lies.
—ABC News, 16 June 2026
Pino’s attorneys have been disputing the characterization of Cutter Bank as a narrow passage to counter the state’s argument that Pino was reckless by not driving on the right side, the correct side, of the channel for 17 seconds before hitting the piling.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The skeptical reader could be an auditor, a regulator, a litigator, a board, an acquirer doing diligence or a customer disputing a charge.
—Anna Meadows, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Reading these conversations feels like attending a party at which each new guest talks over the one before, disputing and undermining, gossiping and bringing into doubt the fundamental purpose of their coming together.
—Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Oral history is perhaps the only field where the sources talk back to the historian, confronting, disputing, disrupting, and sometimes resisting the historian’s understanding of the past (Frisch 1990; Shopes 2012).
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputing
Verb
-
Conservative critics seized upon those allegations, accusing Hosseini of exerting outsized influence over UF’s presidential search process and questioning whether trustees had exercised independent judgment in selecting Bell.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
-
What immediately followed that bright June day were dark months marred by the state’s largest criminal investigation in history coming up empty, police questioning second graders for new leads and mounting legal battles among the Horman family grappling with utter devastation.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
The emotional distress may have stemmed from the family's extended trip together and bickering, his mother told USA TODAY on June 3.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
While the concrete cured, the starting eight matches of the first-ever World Cup were relocated to Pocitos and Gran Parque Central, the home grounds of capital rivals Peñarol and Nacional, who'd been bickering since their first meeting in July 1900.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Florida has passed legislation restricting schools from discussing topics related to race and gender, books have been banned that mention race and sexuality.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
-
Philpot took a trip down memory lane while discussing past seasons of the show, recalling the alternating love-hate relationship between Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder’s Ava Daniels.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Elimination of those missiles was one of the primary aims of the war, and thousands of Iranians, as well as more than a dozen Americans, died contesting it.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
During jury selection on Monday, lawyers disclosed that Brown had accepted partial responsibility in the case after contesting the claims for years.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The chamber has disputed that characterization, arguing the bill will drive up costs for consumers.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
-
But the industry groups are still arguing that film credits should be entirely exempt from the new limitations, as they have already been accounted for and approved by the Legislature through 2030.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Companies routinely spend years debating acquisitions, factory investments, and technology platforms.—
Phil Lodico,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
-
Americans are debating whether love requires affirmation or honesty.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The Yankees are coming dangerously close to challenging the franchise's longest period between titles -- an 18-year drought that was snapped in 1996.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
However, mimicking neuromodulation in conventional neuromorphic hardware is challenging, typically requiring dramatically more complex designs.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump has shattered diplomatic norms with explicit endorsements, fueling accusations from Mexico and Colombia that Washington is attempting to tilt foreign elections under the guise of fighting drugs.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks — a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation.—
Devi Shastri,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputing. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
