1
as in questioning
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
in an extended session the city council disputed the need for a new high school
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Recent Examples of disputing
The Colorado Division of Insurance says the policy is designed to prevent parents from being caught between two insurers disputing who should pay.
—
Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Pino’s attorneys have been disputing the characterization of Cutter Bank as a narrow passage to counter the state’s argument that Pino was reckless by not driving on the right side, the correct side, of the channel for 17 seconds before hitting the piling.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The skeptical reader could be an auditor, a regulator, a litigator, a board, an acquirer doing diligence or a customer disputing a charge.
—Anna Meadows, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
While multiple countries have disputing claims with China over the South China Sea, the greatest tensions over the issue have been with the Philippines, where officials have been outspoken on the issue.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
Reading these conversations feels like attending a party at which each new guest talks over the one before, disputing and undermining, gossiping and bringing into doubt the fundamental purpose of their coming together.
—Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Oral history is perhaps the only field where the sources talk back to the historian, confronting, disputing, disrupting, and sometimes resisting the historian’s understanding of the past (Frisch 1990; Shopes 2012).
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026
The new research challenges that conclusion — not by disputing Pymetrics’ math, but by arguing the company was asking the wrong question.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Many also prepare unfiled returns to bring you into compliance and represent you in disputing IRS penalties, audits or collection actions.
—John Csiszar, CNBC, 22 May 2026
Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Pino’s attorneys have been disputing the characterization of Cutter Bank as a narrow passage to counter the state’s argument that Pino was reckless by not driving on the right side, the correct side, of the channel for 17 seconds before hitting the piling.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The skeptical reader could be an auditor, a regulator, a litigator, a board, an acquirer doing diligence or a customer disputing a charge.
—Anna Meadows, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
While multiple countries have disputing claims with China over the South China Sea, the greatest tensions over the issue have been with the Philippines, where officials have been outspoken on the issue.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
Reading these conversations feels like attending a party at which each new guest talks over the one before, disputing and undermining, gossiping and bringing into doubt the fundamental purpose of their coming together.
—Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
Oral history is perhaps the only field where the sources talk back to the historian, confronting, disputing, disrupting, and sometimes resisting the historian’s understanding of the past (Frisch 1990; Shopes 2012).
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026
The new research challenges that conclusion — not by disputing Pymetrics’ math, but by arguing the company was asking the wrong question.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Many also prepare unfiled returns to bring you into compliance and represent you in disputing IRS penalties, audits or collection actions.
—John Csiszar, CNBC, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputing
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
-
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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The emotional distress may have stemmed from the family's extended trip together and bickering, his mother told USA TODAY on June 3.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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While the concrete cured, the starting eight matches of the first-ever World Cup were relocated to Pocitos and Gran Parque Central, the home grounds of capital rivals Peñarol and Nacional, who'd been bickering since their first meeting in July 1900.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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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Elimination of those missiles was one of the primary aims of the war, and thousands of Iranians, as well as more than a dozen Americans, died contesting it.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
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During jury selection on Monday, lawyers disclosed that Brown had accepted partial responsibility in the case after contesting the claims for years.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
16 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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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
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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
Verb
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The Yankees are coming dangerously close to challenging the franchise's longest period between titles -- an 18-year drought that was snapped in 1996.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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However, mimicking neuromodulation in conventional neuromorphic hardware is challenging, typically requiring dramatically more complex designs.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 June 2026
Verb
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And the conflict’s drain on men of fighting age has had ramifications for the rest of the Russian economy, which is now dealing with a wider labor crisis.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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But somehow, the Valkyries went cold and the Storm kept fighting.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputing. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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