contentions

noun

plural of contention
1
as in arguments
an idea or opinion that is put forth in a discussion or debate my contention is that today's lower batting averages are the result of better pitching

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another several actresses seem to be in heated contention for the title of "worst dressed"

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 contentions To the extent these independent contentions were intended to imply that NBA rules permit teams, at the request of players, to initiate off-court income opportunities for players, that implication is incorrect. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Many healthcare policy analysts disagree with these contentions about fraud, noting partisan politics have now become part of the dissemination of government reports. — Robert Applebaum, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, whose tenure brought team success and three World Series contentions, now faces significant scrutiny over his business practices. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 At the time, Sackler offered no response to these contentions. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026 The main contentions were the state not fully funding public schools according to the state’s funding formula and an additional $10 million to support the Missouri Scholars Program, which can go toward students in private schools. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026 The passing of time is the only thing that will reveal the veracity of their contentions and what some of the underlying numbers suggest regarding the quality of their at-bats not being reflected in their production. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 An administration official would make a claim about what happened, and later evidence would find these contentions to be misleading. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentions
  1. arguments
  2. rivalries
  3. assertions
  4. battles
  5. hypotheses
  6. struggles
  7. conflicts
  8. confrontations
Noun
  • The potential candidates will also hear more cynical arguments in favor of running no matter what.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Both were sharp, original and capable of making arguments more sophisticated than those of many of their peers.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of arguments
Noun
  • Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There are a few big rivalries in the NFL, but almost none have as much history as Chicago and Green Bay.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Noun
  • Speaking to Fox News Digital, Kravetz dismissed assertions that her group relies on DSA tactics, emphasizing that CVPE supporters span the political spectrum.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple individuals within the world of independent film backed up Skolnick’s assertions about his reputation and the wider industry to IndieWire.
    — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of assertions
Noun
  • Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy.
    — Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.
    — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of battles
Noun
  • Earlier studies have pointed to different hypotheses about the formation of the lunar magnetic field.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Observation generates hypotheses; hypotheses lead to anatomical investigation; anatomy stimulates physiological questions; physiology eventually produces clinical trials.
    — Subramaniam C. Krishnan, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of hypotheses
Noun
  • Getting access to sumo stables, wrestlers, their traditions, rituals and thinking and struggles can’t have been easy.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The sketch took aim at reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, including plumbing issues and mental-health struggles among the crew during their extended deployment.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggles
Noun
  • Although the strategic consequences of their actions may ultimately benefit Iran in its own regional and international conflicts, the Houthis see their military campaign against Saudi Arabia chiefly as an act of national defense.
    — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Many of those executed were arrested in Derna and Benghazi cities during or after conflicts between the LNA and opposing armed groups between 2014 and 2018, according to the Wednesday report.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of conflicts
Noun
  • If last week’s Atlanta News First debate discouraged direct confrontations, Tuesday’s Atlanta Press Club showdown gave the two rivals room to unload on each other.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined student protesters in France on Tuesday after weeks of violent confrontations with police, thousands of arrests and widespread school closures over demands for education reform.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of confrontations

Browse Nearby Words

contention
contentions
contentious
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Cite this Entry

“Contentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentions. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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