contended

verb

past tense of contend
1
as in competed
to engage in a contest two traditional rivals contending for the championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in argued
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 insisted
to state as a fact usually forcefully contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything

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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 contended The administration has contended the changes are relatively minor and legal. — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 In its counterarguments, Google contended would be unduly harsh to break up a complex network that distributes ads that online publishers depend upon to help finance digital services used by millions of consumers. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Berry contended the artwork, crafted in a public art program during the New Deal by Tanya's maternal aunt, Ann Rice O'Hanlon, showed how Black people were central in building the region. — Courier Journal Staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026 George Cardenas — have also promised to bring back Chicago’s ShotSpotter acoustic gunshot detection system, which Johnson shut down amid grassroots pushback that contended the technology was ineffective and harmed Black and Latino communities. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Rosengart said Gomez should be dismissed from the lawsuit and contended the investors should not have sued her. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 That wouldn’t have left time for the psychotic, hallucinatory state to begin and for the voices in Clancy’s head to kick in and tell her to kill the children and carry out the suicide attempt, as the defense team has contended, Sprague said. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026 The guild contended that Attiah’s firing was pretextual, and that she was being penalized for speech that fell within her job description. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026 Espinosa has contended that the ethics commission, not the city, is the proper venue for the investigation. — Sara-James Ranta, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contended
  1. competed
  2. argued
  3. insisted
  4. fought
  5. reasoned
  6. claimed
  7. raced
  8. asserted
Verb
  • Her brother and former pro, Derek Hough, also competed as a pro for nearly 10 years, winning the Mirrorball Trophy six times, before transitioning to becoming a judge in 2020.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Inter-City Beauties competed along with hundreds of other women.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of competed
Verb
  • Group argued construction could be irreversible The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is challenging the ballroom, had told the justices that the project would likely become irreversible unless it is stopped now.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Palal acknowledged that Davis’ accounts of the killing evolved over the years but argued those differences reflected Davis’ changing motivations and efforts to protect himself.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of argued
Verb
  • The secretary insisted he is focused on leading the War Department.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Some Hindu reform movements that developed under colonialism insisted that Hinduism is monotheistic or monist.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of insisted
Verb
  • The bout marked the first time Cameron and Mayer, 36, had fought each other at either the amateur or professional level.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The gambling industry is far more entrenched in Washington and fought major legislative battles before.
    — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fought
Verb
  • The judge reasoned that the compromise would be enough to allow Seyb to practice without fear of possible prosecution without extending the original injunction to doctors who weren’t part of the lawsuit.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Arab Americans, the group reasoned, would need to organize to resist what was becoming reflexive support for Israel.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoned
Verb
  • The declaration stated that White identified as a transgender woman and claimed eligibility under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.
    — Jackson Thompson , Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Across the archipelago’s more than seven thousand islands, countless sovereign communities once bloomed with distinct languages and traditions, until Spain claimed them all under a single name.
    — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of claimed
Verb
  • On Monday, rescuers in Nepal raced to free hundreds of workers thought to be trapped in hydropower site tunnels that were buried in mud.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Two Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputies raced against the clock to save a man's life after a rattlesnake bit him at a remote campsite.
    — Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of raced
Verb
  • Tibet is a Chinese autonomous region that has gone through cycles of protest, unrest and government repression since China asserted control over the region in 1951.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The item asserted that some Medicare and Medicaid cancer patients wait longer for treatment than those with private insurance.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of asserted

Browse Nearby Words

contend
contended
contended (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Contended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contended. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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