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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contend
Or patriots, as Mr. Trump and many Republicans contend, spurred to action by a righteous cause?
—
Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Perez Becerra’s family also contends that Lemos failed to properly cycle through less-lethal options available to him, including using his Taser, pepper spray or baton before resorting to his service pistol.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
In her letter, Sassoon contended that the resulting deal calling for dismissal of the case was unseemly in two ways.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025
There is nothing in the Academy’s official rules stating that an actor must be human in order to be Oscar eligible, or that animals are not allowed to contend for the prize.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Perez Becerra’s family also contends that Lemos failed to properly cycle through less-lethal options available to him, including using his Taser, pepper spray or baton before resorting to his service pistol.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
In her letter, Sassoon contended that the resulting deal calling for dismissal of the case was unseemly in two ways.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025
There is nothing in the Academy’s official rules stating that an actor must be human in order to be Oscar eligible, or that animals are not allowed to contend for the prize.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contend
Verb
-
In today’s marketplace, government R&D in launch or space mobility needlessly competes against private capital.—
Charles Beames,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Frazer Harrison | Getty Images Two best actor nominees are competing for Oscar records, as noted by the BBC.—
Sarah Whitten,Sara Salinas,Russell Leung,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The fact that he was denied once needs to be noted in any future application for practice in the Southern District, the motion argues, claiming that Buzbee only reapplied to practice in the district at the buzzer in this case, and has failed to do so for his other civil proceedings.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Prosecutors argued that the crimes shared the same modus operandi and that many witnesses overlap.—
Michael Ruiz,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Adams insists there's no quid pro quo being asked for by himself or offered from the government.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC News,
20 Feb. 2025
-
One problem with the discovery rule, the teams insist, is that its availability turns on the plaintiff’s knowledge.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In September last year, OpenAI launched its most advanced model, the o1, which came with reasoning abilities and was able to solve relatively complex science, coding and math tasks.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Olson’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, said he was relieved his client got less than 25 years, which prosecutors pushed for, and reasoned his behavior stemmed from his own childhood.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The result has been gunfire exchanged in public spaces like roadways and public establishments where innocent civilians are present, the indictment alleges.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Authors had previously alleged that Meta unlawfully copied and distributed their works through AI outputs—an increasingly common complaint that so far has barely been litigated.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Both Franke and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to the charges, resulting in their sentencing.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Hildebrandt is also currently incarcerated in the same facility as Franke after pleading guilty to the same charges and receiving the same sentence as Franke.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In a recent court filing challenging the project's work, the Justice Department claimed that Musk is not an employee of the U.S. DOGE Service and is not the U.S. DOGE Service administrator.—
Tamara Keith,
NPR,
22 Feb. 2025
-
In some cases, the amount of money the group has claimed to cut has been overstated.—
Hurubie Meko,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Similar to the claims in Trump’s executive order, the Army asserted that the medical needs of transgender people were onerous or impossible for the Army to meet.—
Natalie Shibley / Made by History,
TIME,
21 Feb. 2025
-
By ensuring aerospace sovereignty and air defense, NORAD also asserts aerospace control.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contend. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share