contestable

adjective

Definition of contestablenext
as in problematic

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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 contestable What is not contestable is that ignoring those standards left the operation vulnerable to many different forms of failure. — Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026 The position is thin and contestable, and every serious competitor is now trying to climb out of it by owning more of the stack. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Dupont took an Italian tap back from a contestable kick and chipped for Bielle-Biarrey to claim the first try in the fourth minute, his fourth try this month, and 24th try in 25 tests. — ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026 In part, the President has used the term like every other politician does—to automatize the righteousness of contestable claims. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contestable
  1. problematic
  2. debatable
  3. arguable
  4. disputable
  5. moot
  6. questionable
Adjective
  • The lack of an alternative striker to Haaland could be problematic if the 26-year-old misses any significant period, and given Trafford played an important role in City winning two domestic cups last season, Rulli will have a lot to live up to.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As the first episode begins, the exultant staffers arrive at work only to find out the office in mourning over the death of a beloved Softees salesman, whose problematic personal life will make the writing of the obit a nightmare of an assignment.
    — Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of problematic
Adjective
  • Gray Interiors Named Most Controversial Home Trend Topping the list for most controversial design trends is the ever-debatable millennial gray.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Plain Glossy White and Round Plates This is highly debatable even among our experts.
    — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of debatable
Adjective
  • Pairing Diggs with McLaurin gives Washington arguable its best wide receiver duo since Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson each topped the 1,000-yard mark in 2016.
    — Ethan Cadeaux, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of arguable
Adjective
  • But revenue coming in at double the projections is not disputable and cannot happen if the tax base runs away.
    — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • However, disputable refereeing decisions, especially in the matches against Italy and Spain, led to allegations that South Korea may have benefited from favorable officiating.
    — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026
Definition of disputable
Adjective
  • Despite the Clippers’ vow to challenge the ruling, the effort appears to be moot, with both the NBA and the players’ union confirming the penalties are final and cannot be appealed by any party.
    — Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • However, the lease amendment was rendered moot after Costco and Transformco failed to come to an agreement on the terms of transfer.
    — Frankie Rowley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of moot
Adjective
  • Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley) plays a government agent working in the Department of Alien Affairs, who gets caught up in a world of questionable ethics and violence.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • She was recently listed as questionable due to a back injury ahead of a game against the Toronto Tempo, but started both games against the expansion team last week.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of questionable

Browse Nearby Words

contest
contestable
contestant
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Cite this Entry

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

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