1
as in pondering
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discussing
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debating
Muscle loss has been another persistent concern, with researchers debating how much of the weight lost on GLP-1 drugs is fat versus lean mass.
—
Allison Palmer
updated June 13, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
But people have been debating for years whether Spielberg really was the one calling the shots on the set.
—Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
Correspondent Mo Rocca goes inside the landmark with those debating its fate, and those reimagining its future.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 11 June 2026
But that’s what NHL teams must do every year, getting their scouts and executives together and debating players from different leagues to come up with a final draft list.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 11 June 2026
The world is still debating whether this is a short-term disruption while farmers are already being forced to make decisions today that will have consequences next year.
—John W.h. Denton Ao, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Regulators are debating whether the new data centers will strain the Texas power grid and affect electricity costs.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Vance and Rubio top the early list, but Republicans are already debating who can inherit Trump’s movement.
—Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
Uygur was also expected to give a speech at the Oxford Union, the prestigious student debating society.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Allison Palmer
updated June 13, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
But people have been debating for years whether Spielberg really was the one calling the shots on the set.
—Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
Correspondent Mo Rocca goes inside the landmark with those debating its fate, and those reimagining its future.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 11 June 2026
But that’s what NHL teams must do every year, getting their scouts and executives together and debating players from different leagues to come up with a final draft list.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 11 June 2026
The world is still debating whether this is a short-term disruption while farmers are already being forced to make decisions today that will have consequences next year.
—John W.h. Denton Ao, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Regulators are debating whether the new data centers will strain the Texas power grid and affect electricity costs.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Vance and Rubio top the early list, but Republicans are already debating who can inherit Trump’s movement.
—Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
Uygur was also expected to give a speech at the Oxford Union, the prestigious student debating society.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debating
Verb
-
Any larger Hollywood studio would have likely insisted on a grander finale, but The Death of Robin Hood, produced by A24, left me pondering the foolishness of my need for such a denouement.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
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That’s in addition to problems like data drift, bias in training data, black swan events, and other things that the panelists touched on in pondering the challenges of instituting these systems in a highly regulated industry.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Florida has passed legislation restricting schools from discussing topics related to race and gender, books have been banned that mention race and sexuality.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
-
Philpot took a trip down memory lane while discussing past seasons of the show, recalling the alternating love-hate relationship between Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder’s Ava Daniels.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Against this backdrop, then, prospective CD account holders as well as those with an account set to mature this month, should start contemplating their next moves.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
The antitrust hurdle cleared by Paramount comes as state attorneys general in California, New York and almost a dozen other states are contemplating an antitrust suit to put the brakes on what would become a mega-studio.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The chamber has disputed that characterization, arguing the bill will drive up costs for consumers.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
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But the industry groups are still arguing that film credits should be entirely exempt from the new limitations, as they have already been accounted for and approved by the Legislature through 2030.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The Fort Worth City Council is considering a slate of changes to its development codes to protect residents from the negative effects of data center development while still capturing some economic benefit for the city.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
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The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start, in considering the need for removing the technical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be instated within 30 days.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
That led to the Identity Project, a multiyear effort in which Bloomfield High School students spent the year studying the Holocaust and genocide.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2026
-
González developed her classic yet defiantly modern approach while studying at the University of Seville, where Spanish masters such as Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán painted in the naturalist Baroque tradition.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
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According to the affidavit, investigators confronted Holmes with the surveillance video and witness statements during questioning.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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As Fujimori’s lead slowly widened in the past few days, Sánchez intensified his efforts to rally supporters, questioning the integrity of the vote review process and framing the dispute as a broader fight for democratic legitimacy.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Players trudged out of Atlanta Stadium (AKA Mercedes-Benz Stadium) with their eyes fixed on the floor, not even entertaining the thought of engaging with questions.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
The Season’s characters, entertaining in their obnoxiously wealthy and drama-prone ways but not exactly dimensional, simply aren’t built for close scrutiny.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debating. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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