1
as in insisted
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he protested that he usually was very good at baseball, and all the strikeouts were just bad luck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in objected
to present an opposing opinion or argument
plans to protest against the judge's ruling regarding admissible evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 protested
The activists, all of whom were Kazakh nationals, protested near the border with China in November, burning Chinese flags and portraits of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and calling for the release of a Kazakh citizen detained in Xinjiang last year.
—
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump later attempted to play down the comparison while refusing to apologize to the pope, but Catholic leaders nonetheless protested loudly against the post, which was later removed.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday afternoon, local residents and activists protested the rough arrest outside the liquor store.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Many university students and leadership protested the overhaul, but it was carried out anyway.
—Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
But this whitewashing of Disney’s whitewashing is more recent than the story implies—the film was rereleased into US theaters (and protested) four times, most recently in 1986 in anticipation of the opening of Splash Mountain.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Motta protested, and began to cry.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
In France, people protested for months against Emmanuel Macron in 2023 over the raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Florida International University President Jeanette Nuñez is being sued for bringing conduct charges against students in a racist group chat — and protested on campus for not doing enough.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump later attempted to play down the comparison while refusing to apologize to the pope, but Catholic leaders nonetheless protested loudly against the post, which was later removed.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday afternoon, local residents and activists protested the rough arrest outside the liquor store.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Many university students and leadership protested the overhaul, but it was carried out anyway.
—Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
But this whitewashing of Disney’s whitewashing is more recent than the story implies—the film was rereleased into US theaters (and protested) four times, most recently in 1986 in anticipation of the opening of Splash Mountain.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Motta protested, and began to cry.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
In France, people protested for months against Emmanuel Macron in 2023 over the raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Florida International University President Jeanette Nuñez is being sued for bringing conduct charges against students in a racist group chat — and protested on campus for not doing enough.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protested
Verb
-
At his first court appearance Thursday afternoon, Fiapoto pleaded not guilty and insisted on a fast preliminary hearing, according to court records.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Amit Sofer, head of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, insisted that Israel’s military should be allowed to achieve its goal of disarming Hezbollah.—
CNN staff,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Veto-wielding Security Council members China and Russia objected and planned to issue an alternative resolution.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Some have already objected to the war outright and are expected to oppose funding.—
Claudia Grisales,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wilson has further alleged that MacInnes later withdrew her complaint after being given career opportunities by Ghost.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Two former employees of the Yale athletics department have alleged that Guglieri and Berdo are in a romantic relationship.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For years, some have complained that the groups shouldn’t be limited to neighborhoods, but rather have more open borders.—
Dania Maxwell,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The concern is so great that West End residents complained at a hearing on a neighborhood development proposal in late 2024 that they were forced to take longer, alternate routes just to avoid the near-constant gridlock.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s abductions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Read's attorneys claimed that O'Keefe was never hit by a vehicle, but was instead killed inside the home during a fight and then brought outside.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a Wall Street Journal essay, Barnett asserted that the Supreme Court, for over a century in a host of decisions addressing the issue, misread the 14th Amendment.—
Ediberto Roman,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, Human Rights Watch asserted, the authorities have demolished hundreds of church buildings or the crosses atop them, prevented adherents from gathering in unofficial churches, restricted access to the Bible, and confiscated religious materials not authorized by the government.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Veteran organizations and psychedelic advocates have long contended that ibogaine, which is made from a shrub native to West Africa, has great promise for hard-to-treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.—
Matthew Perrone,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Veteran organizations and psychedelic advocates have long contended that ibogaine, which is made from a shrub native to West Africa, has great promise for hard-to-treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Catholic churches in the Netherlands opposed the policy, and in response, the Nazi commissioner of the Netherlands declared that all Jews who had been baptized as Catholic be deported.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The judge upheld the first two convictions but declared a mistrial on the final rape charge after the jury foreperson refused to keep deliberating.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protested. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
