as in challenged
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
vowed to contest the claim in court
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Recent Examples of contested
But the extent of birth tourism – and its threat to national security – is hotly contested.
—
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Bob Bennett, an incumbent, is contested by Andrew Barchers and Mark Hill in Ward 2.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the showdown between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets projects to be tightly contested.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While a few of the Pacers’ 18 made threes were tightly contested, many were not.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
But no one reading the book will come away with the sense that studies are often contested, or that many of the findings of social psychology and economics remain unsettled, or that results can be interpreted in many ways.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Will cislunar space be contested between major space powers?
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
It can also be used in island operations or contested maritime regions where flexibility is essential.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Becerra contested Trump fiercely in his role as California attorney general.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Bob Bennett, an incumbent, is contested by Andrew Barchers and Mark Hill in Ward 2.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the showdown between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets projects to be tightly contested.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While a few of the Pacers’ 18 made threes were tightly contested, many were not.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
But no one reading the book will come away with the sense that studies are often contested, or that many of the findings of social psychology and economics remain unsettled, or that results can be interpreted in many ways.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Will cislunar space be contested between major space powers?
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
It can also be used in island operations or contested maritime regions where flexibility is essential.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Becerra contested Trump fiercely in his role as California attorney general.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contested
Verb
-
The court’s comments came from a case brought by the Miami Herald that challenged keeping a portion of a grand jury’s report secret.—
Lawrence Mower,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Perez challenged a 94 mph fastball thrown by Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans in the fourth inning.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Conservative influencers, among others, blasted the turnabout and questioned Bondi’s capability.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In a playful bit, Mandel sat down on the podcast wearing an obvious wig, only to jokingly storm off set after Bush questioned his appearance.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The owner, Lindsay Hoopes, has disputed that and continues to welcome the public onto the property.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Art Tinoco, the Riverside County registrar of voters, disputed the group’s allegations, saying they were based on a misunderstanding of raw data that had not been fully processed.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contested. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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