as in dispute
variance of opinion on a matter
the statement is certainly open to contestation among reasonable people
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contestation
What supplies all these events with a sense of approaching a precipice is the open contestation between pro- and anti-democratic forces, happening both here and abroad, in view of each other.
—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
That makes some of these contestations existential, particularly for smaller combatants.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Indeed, the existence of avenues for contestation is in the very nature of competitive authoritarianism.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025
The study spatializes the socio-cultural haunting of Indigenous and colonial histories and demonstrates how public spaces can be sites of democratic contestation and negotiation.
—JSTOR Daily, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contestation
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
That makes some of these contestations existential, particularly for smaller combatants.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Indeed, the existence of avenues for contestation is in the very nature of competitive authoritarianism.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025
The study spatializes the socio-cultural haunting of Indigenous and colonial histories and demonstrates how public spaces can be sites of democratic contestation and negotiation.
—JSTOR Daily, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contestation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contestation
Noun
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The dispute has opened a new front in a years-long fight over transparency at the shelter, which has faced multiple investigations into overcrowding, animal deaths and a sharp decline in transfers to rescue groups.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
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As bitcoin becomes more involved in private contracts, treasury strategies, cross border settlement and business arrangements, disputes will not always arrive in court as dramatic stories about hacks or scams.—
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Like all things data center, this one comes with controversy.—
David Wade,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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From a national pie shop victory to a fatal military crash and a baseball controversy reaching the White House, Wednesday delivered a wide range of stories for Sacramento readers.—
Ruyuan Li. Summary produced by AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
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This did not, however, mark the end of disputation concerning the Northwest Angle.—
Scott Spires,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
-
According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The breakout success of these films has ignited debate across Hollywood about what made these movies so popular, especially among Gen Z moviegoers who haven’t been flocking to cinemas in recent years.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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Major League Baseball's warning to several San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps is fueling online debate about the limits of free expression in professional baseball.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Noun
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The deadlock reflected significant disagreement among jurors over the brothers' motives and the credibility of their abuse claims.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
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Ken Griffin In one of the most notable disagreements so far, Mamdani and Griffin became entangled in drama after the mayor announced his new pied‑à‑terre tax proposal aimed at wealthier residents in the city.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contestation. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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