1
as in questionable
open to question or dispute
it's always debatable which college football team is really number one, since there's more than one ranking system
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disputable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the debatable wisdom of going back for another helping from the buffet
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Recent Examples of debatable
The ethics of moving to Canada for those unhappy with incoming U.S. political leadership is debatable, of course.
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Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
But so far only one institution, Houston Christian University, has taken the formal–if legally debatable– next step in attempting to halt the case’s impending resolution.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 18 July 2024
Now, as for whether or not Donald Trump is not at all Taylor Swift fan, that's actually debatable.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024
While the accuracy of this claim is debatable, scientists and benchmarking organizations such as Model Evaluation and Threat Research seem to support it.
—Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for debatable 
Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
But so far only one institution, Houston Christian University, has taken the formal–if legally debatable– next step in attempting to halt the case’s impending resolution.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 18 July 2024
Now, as for whether or not Donald Trump is not at all Taylor Swift fan, that's actually debatable.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024
While the accuracy of this claim is debatable, scientists and benchmarking organizations such as Model Evaluation and Threat Research seem to support it.
—Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
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The political left, especially George Soros, have worked for racial divide by pushing very questionable theories of victimhood.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Dec. 2024
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The industry’s knowledge base remains alarmingly shallow, leading to questionable valuations and incomplete business cases.Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And at the Christmas party, with the flow of dubious punch, (that no one in their right mind would serve at any other time of the year), after about 9 or 10 p.m., the man hugging becomes a competitive sport.Louis J. Esterhazy, WWD, 8 Dec. 2024
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Though dubious in concept, the effect is peculiarly, if superficially, enticing.Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Natural saltwater pearls are arguable the rarest gems in the world.Anthony DeMarco, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
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Lanthimos is many things — a champion absurdist, an arguable nihilist, an occasional edgelord, and an artist who has maintained a decidedly Euro sensibility despite having worked in English with Hollywood actors since 2015.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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The surrealist, comedic drama stars Torres and Tilda Swinton as an aspiring toymaker and an eccentric art critic who find problematic soulmates in each other.Elaina Patton, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
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There were several factors that contributed to this including complicated program rules that were poorly communicated to borrowers, as well as problematic loan servicing, inadequate record-keeping, and poor oversight by the Education Department.Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Advertisement Key injuries Chargers: TE Will Dissly (shoulder, out); CB Cam Hart (concussion, out); DB Elijah Molden (knee, doubtful); G Zion Johnson (ankle, questionable); DL Otito Ogbonnia (pelvis, questionable); LB Denzel Perryman (groin, questionable), TE Hayden Hurst (hip, questionable).Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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Count us doubtful that Republicans will be able to make major changes to environmental laws without negotiating with Senate Democrats.Daniel Moore, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This could be weird network traffic, suspicious logins or unauthorized data access.Sarath Babu Yalavarthi, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
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And don't be afraid to ask for help or report suspicious activity.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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