1
as in competing
to engage in a contest
two traditional rivals contending for the championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
contended that the senator's considerable experience made him the best candidate
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in alleging
to state as a fact usually forcefully
contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of contending
The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.
—
Associated Pess, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.
—Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
There are a couple distinctly different ways to build a contending major league baseball club.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Kessler is a center that many teams, especially contending teams like the Lakers, would love to have on their roster.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The Eagles, though with some controversy surrounding Hurts and Brown, have maintained the NFC East lead over the contending Washington Commanders.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 15 Dec. 2024
While other bubble contenders like Sing Sing and A Real Pain get a boost from heart-tugging performances, September 5’s unflashy ensemble has been largely overlooked, leaving Screenplay as its best chance at contending elsewhere.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2024
The result of Fang’s investigations can be seen in the Oscar-contending documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024
Their interest points to a possible bidding war between the two American League East rivals, as well as several other contending teams, for the 30-year-old right-hander.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Associated Pess, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.
—Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
There are a couple distinctly different ways to build a contending major league baseball club.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Kessler is a center that many teams, especially contending teams like the Lakers, would love to have on their roster.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The Eagles, though with some controversy surrounding Hurts and Brown, have maintained the NFC East lead over the contending Washington Commanders.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 15 Dec. 2024
While other bubble contenders like Sing Sing and A Real Pain get a boost from heart-tugging performances, September 5’s unflashy ensemble has been largely overlooked, leaving Screenplay as its best chance at contending elsewhere.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2024
The result of Fang’s investigations can be seen in the Oscar-contending documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024
Their interest points to a possible bidding war between the two American League East rivals, as well as several other contending teams, for the 30-year-old right-hander.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
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Consultants are often juggling competing demands, and a bit of patience goes a long way.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
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Carey Hart, who has been competing in motocross for years, embraced the opportunity to push himself physically after having to take a step back recently.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Adnan often finds himself at the center of the theatrics — from arguing with Brian about ego to suggesting Veah is an untrustworthy partner after Sunny accused her of cheating.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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In late 2022, Festa led an effort with other towers and the towing association to get the DMV to increase towing rates, arguing at a DMV hearing that expenses on everything from truck insurance to workers’ compensation had gone up.—
Dave Altimari,
ProPublica,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Attorneys routinely turn away families alleging medical malpractice because of the restrictions on pain-and-suffering damages, said Jack Cobb, a medical malpractice attorney with the Morgan & Morgan law firm.—
Skyler Swisher,
Orlando Sentinel,
23 Dec. 2024
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His daughter, Sabrina Davis, was unable to sue, despite the Florida Department of Health alleging her dad’s doctor failed to diagnose a blood clot that ultimately killed him.—
Skyler Swisher,
Orlando Sentinel,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hanukkah’s story is one of defiance and survival — a small band of believers reclaiming their sacred space and asserting their faith against a powerful empire.—
Priscilla Whitehead,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Cases like Lively’s serve as stark reminders of the challenges employees face when speaking up against harassment or asserting their rights.—
Tom Spiggle,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Riley issued a public statement in an effort to quell swirling Butler trade rumors last month, insisting Miami would not move on from its best two-way player this year.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Rather than insisting that its ally remain imperiled, Washington should drop its barriers to Seoul’s finding its own way to security.—
Robert E. Kelly,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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More than 1,500 people tied to the attack have been charged with crimes, with more than 1,000 pleading guilty to either felonies or misdemeanors, according to the Justice Department.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
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After pleading guilty to kidnapping and ultimately being convicted of rape and several other charges, Muller was sentenced in 2017 to 40 years in federal prison, then in 2022 to 31 years in California state prison, to be served concurrently.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Encryption tools, secure communication channels, and data storage are essential to maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive discussions.—
Allison Carnegie,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2024
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The implementation of effective safety measures while maintaining technological momentum remains a crucial challenge.—
Sol Rashidi,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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With the president-elect declaring even more drastic measures during his second term, Lung-Amam worries for areas with large migrant populations.—
Mennatalla Ibrahim,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Dec. 2024
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Furthermore, as fashion brands increasingly offer beauty ranges, the State of Fashion Report 2025 highlights the urgency for the industry to reach sustainability goals, declaring that inaction is not an option.—
Laia Farran Graves,
Forbes,
22 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near contending
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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