1
2
as in to argue
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
contended that the senator's considerable experience made him the best candidate
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to insist
to state as a fact usually forcefully
contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contend
On the evacuations, Israeli officials say 70,000 people have fled Gaza City so far, though Palestinian authorities contend far fewer have left, with tens of thousands still in the path of advancing forces.
—
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Doctors and public health officials contend that vaccination significantly lowers the risk of severe COVID, even for young and healthy people.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
However, critics contend that such fraud is rare, and that these measures place undue burdens on voters, potentially infringing on their right to vote.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
It’s led to lawsuits from authors, record labels, news organizations, artists and studios, which contend that some AI tools erode demand for their content.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Doctors and public health officials contend that vaccination significantly lowers the risk of severe COVID, even for young and healthy people.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
However, critics contend that such fraud is rare, and that these measures place undue burdens on voters, potentially infringing on their right to vote.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
It’s led to lawsuits from authors, record labels, news organizations, artists and studios, which contend that some AI tools erode demand for their content.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
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The 21-year-old competed on the school's competitive cheer STUNT team for three years, according to an official team roster.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Clinton has decided to join a direct rival even though City will not be competing in the Champions League this season.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The plaintiffs argued the displacement was motivated by a desire to limit readers' access to books with viewpoints that are unpopular and controversial in the area.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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But there are Republicans who argue that the changes to Medicaid strengthen the program for the most vulnerable.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Troost-Ekong Pushes Back Against Doubters Visionhaus/Getty Images Captain William Troost-Ekong drew on Nigeria’s history while insisting this is a fresh challenge.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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In the lead-up to this revenge match, Rodgers insisted that this was Week 1, and only Week 1.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In this task, intuition is reflected in whether people can suddenly sense connections between things without consciously reasoning them out.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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If making movies couldn’t happen for him, Newell eventually reasoned his next best thing might be to stage movies live.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During his time on the run, Tom is alleged to have committed a series of crimes, including a robbery in the Waikato region, according to New Zealand police.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Bundy family’s statement noted this and said their destination was not clandestine, as the FBI document alleged.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hill had previously pleaded guilty to a domestic assault charge while in college.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Borgwardt, who could not be reached for comment for this report, pleaded no contest last month to obstructing an officer and was sentenced to 89 days in jail.—
Jared Kofsky,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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Roughly $140,000 is claimed to have been spent on this car’s restoration by the consignor prior to its 2019 sale.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
8 Sep. 2025
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Wall asserts that on Etsy, customers often expect prices in the $20-30 range, leaving you with maybe five dollars in profit.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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