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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of contending
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
He was traded to a contending Philadelphia 76ers club led by the All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
That’s one of the revelations in the Oscar-contending documentary Music by John Williams, director Laurent Bouzereau’s exploration of the work of the maestro.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024
With only one week remaining before conference championships, ‘Rivalry Week’ will hold extra significance for those schools still contending for a CFP berth.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Miami looks to debunk two narratives, that this team can’t win against contending teams and doesn’t play well in the cold.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
But with two races to go in ‘24, McLaren and Ferrari are contending for the constructor title.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 24 Nov. 2024
The Buffaloes are 8-2 this season and contending for the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2024
The measure was put forth by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which bankrolled two similar initiatives in recent years that were also rejected after the real estate industry outspent supporters, contending that the measures would tank housing construction and make the affordability crisis worse.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
He was traded to a contending Philadelphia 76ers club led by the All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
That’s one of the revelations in the Oscar-contending documentary Music by John Williams, director Laurent Bouzereau’s exploration of the work of the maestro.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024
With only one week remaining before conference championships, ‘Rivalry Week’ will hold extra significance for those schools still contending for a CFP berth.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Miami looks to debunk two narratives, that this team can’t win against contending teams and doesn’t play well in the cold.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
But with two races to go in ‘24, McLaren and Ferrari are contending for the constructor title.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 24 Nov. 2024
The Buffaloes are 8-2 this season and contending for the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2024
The measure was put forth by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which bankrolled two similar initiatives in recent years that were also rejected after the real estate industry outspent supporters, contending that the measures would tank housing construction and make the affordability crisis worse.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending
Verb
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Balancing power amid competing external interests magnifies Turkey’s dilemma.Guney Yildiz, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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The airline claims that together the carriers’ will be a much stronger force on the West Coast, especially when competing with the Big Three — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.Edward Russell, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Nevertheless, Phelps remains resolute in his defense of the playoff format, arguing its fairness and noting its creation was heavily influenced by fan preferences.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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The president-elect says Biden is responsible for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, arguing that policies under his watch led to Hamas and Russia becoming emboldened.Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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By Wednesday morning, Albertsons abandoned the merger and filed a lawsuit against Kroger, alleging a willful breach of contract for not doing enough to win regulatory approval for the merger.Alina Selyukh, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024
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Case 1000 centres on charges alleging that Netanyahu and his wife wrongfully received almost 700,000 shekels (£150,000) in gifts – including champagne and cigars – from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian businessman James Packer.The Week UK, theweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Despite this, Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear arms, asserting that its space and nuclear programs serve peaceful purposes.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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The British Museum has housed the artifacts ever since, asserting their acquisition was legal.Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But Motown’s legal head refused to comply, insisting that Motown had registered the name in August 1975.David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2024
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His latest thoughts show a radical difference, now demanding that the time for insisting on change to EU rules had passed.Neil Winton, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Whoever chose to pay for such a message is pleading for the Giants owner to make some big changes.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
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Whatever the case may be, fans are clearly pleading for changes to be made, and time will tell if that happens.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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However, that seems to be less effective for maintaining constant blood levels over the long term than simply taking smaller regular doses of around 800 to 2000 IU daily.Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
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Efficient logistics and supply chain management are critical to driving profitability and maintaining competitiveness in a global market.Georg Beyschlag, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This was followed by another executive order in 2020 declaring reliance on China, which was supplying 80 percent of the rare earths needed by America at the time, to be a national emergency.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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But, that reality doesn’t stop the evangelists from pounding their chests and boldly declaring that everything from babies to Roombas should be put on chain.Jordan Yallen, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near contending
Cite this Entry
“Contending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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