as in disputed
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1
as in pondered
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discussed
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
we debated the advantages versus the disadvantages of the proposed waterfront development
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debated
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
The most controversial and debated article on Mint Press News is about the use of chemical agents in the Syrian civil war.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The trade, approved under new team governor Patrick Dumont, has remained one of the most debated moves in recent NBA history, according to sports analysts, with lingering questions about communication within the organization and the long-term direction of the franchise.
—Sergio Candido, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
The referendum centers on long debated reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of Italy’s judiciary.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
As the influencer responded, followers shared their own experiences, challenged each other’s opinions and debated alternatives, surfacing objections that the brand’s own social and big-name campaigns had missed.
—Cory Hodkinson, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Safety aspects of autonomous vehicles remain debated, but industry groups claim the technology could reduce road fatalities by removing human error from driving.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026
Actor Jeff Daniels ran out of jelly one day, reached for barbecue sauce instead, and accidentally created one of the most debated sandwiches on the internet.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
J.m. Banks
june 15, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
After someone blew a hole in the Nord Stream Pipeline deep under the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the global media debated a geopolitical whodunnit.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
The phenomenon remains debated, but researchers have investigated possible explanations involving electrical activity close to the Earth’s surface.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
The pair debated the pronunciation before.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Inflation — hot or not Outside of the AI trade, the market debated the implications of what appeared to be hotter-than-expected inflation data on the Fed's upcoming policy meeting.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Scientists have debated for years how fast this could happen and how much carbon the world’s permafrost might expel, but according to a new study, the situation might be far worse than past estimates suggest.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Power market experts have debated whether companies should match their power consumption with clean energy generation on an hourly or annual basis.
—Justin Worland, Time, 12 June 2026
In 1837, Cincinnati’s Catholic Bishop, John Baptist Purcell debated Protestant preacher Alexander Campbell on the merits of Catholic religion for several days before a crowded audience.
—Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 8 June 2026
Adjective
Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, here's a look back at the iconic event's most daring — and most debated — style moments.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
The most controversial and debated article on Mint Press News is about the use of chemical agents in the Syrian civil war.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The trade, approved under new team governor Patrick Dumont, has remained one of the most debated moves in recent NBA history, according to sports analysts, with lingering questions about communication within the organization and the long-term direction of the franchise.
—Sergio Candido, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
The referendum centers on long debated reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of Italy’s judiciary.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
As the influencer responded, followers shared their own experiences, challenged each other’s opinions and debated alternatives, surfacing objections that the brand’s own social and big-name campaigns had missed.
—Cory Hodkinson, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Safety aspects of autonomous vehicles remain debated, but industry groups claim the technology could reduce road fatalities by removing human error from driving.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026
Actor Jeff Daniels ran out of jelly one day, reached for barbecue sauce instead, and accidentally created one of the most debated sandwiches on the internet.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Fans debated score predictions, discussed players and shared hopes that Algeria could upset the defending world champions.
—J.m. Banks
june 15, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
After someone blew a hole in the Nord Stream Pipeline deep under the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the global media debated a geopolitical whodunnit.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
The phenomenon remains debated, but researchers have investigated possible explanations involving electrical activity close to the Earth’s surface.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
The pair debated the pronunciation before.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Inflation — hot or not Outside of the AI trade, the market debated the implications of what appeared to be hotter-than-expected inflation data on the Fed's upcoming policy meeting.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Scientists have debated for years how fast this could happen and how much carbon the world’s permafrost might expel, but according to a new study, the situation might be far worse than past estimates suggest.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Power market experts have debated whether companies should match their power consumption with clean energy generation on an hourly or annual basis.
—Justin Worland, Time, 12 June 2026
In 1837, Cincinnati’s Catholic Bishop, John Baptist Purcell debated Protestant preacher Alexander Campbell on the merits of Catholic religion for several days before a crowded audience.
—Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debated
Adjective
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Those choices will harden into the standard others copy, the way early card-network rules on chargebacks became the template for disputed payments.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The Louisville Counter-Claim Here’s where the story gets genuinely interesting for anyone who loves a disputed first.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bilson and Bethel pondered where their characters’ relationship stands today.—
Selena Schorken,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
-
Board member Michael Milani pondered failed efforts to attract corporate headquarters and office spaces to the I-80 corridor, saying the village likely needed to establish a new identity for the area amid the post-COVID-19 surge in people working from home.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Mytheresa has been teasing its yacht experience on the French Riviera, part of a new strategy to build out its luxury clienteling events, as discussed by CEO Francis Belin at the recent Vogue Business Global Summit.—
Joe Bobowicz,
Vogue,
18 June 2026
-
According to the filing, Al-Saadi discussed the consulate shooting in a recorded phone call.—
Swasti Singhai,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Among them was a December 2024 lesson about Christmas that featured Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, a controversial Dutch holiday character known as a helper to Santa Claus who is depicted with exaggerated, racist physical features — including large red lips.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
The Australian social media ban has been controversial, with American tech giants unsurprisingly reacting with alarm.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Cathy, a housewife, had contemplated becoming a teacher, Griffin told me.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
The landowners contemplated building a combination gas station/convenience store, but the property wasn’t quite large enough, Barry said.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The groups argued that the site of the garden runs afoul of federal laws and has not been authorized by Congress.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
Opponents to the development argued that the circumstances are different and that the court's decision does not apply to the Greeley case.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias also is widely considered to be preparing a run for mayor.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Tatum is now healthy, and the Celtics — the 2024 NBA champions — are considered one of the favorites to trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Alison Wood Brooks, a behavioral research scientist and professor at Harvard Business School, has studied pre-performance anxiety and the science of communication.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Why Creatine Powder Still Leads on Research The science backing creatine powder is deeper, simply because it’s been studied for decades.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debated. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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