controversies

noun

plural of controversy
1
as in disputes
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions the seemingly imperishable controversy over the teaching of evolution

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in disputations
variance of opinion on a matter there is considerable controversy regarding the assassination of President Kennedy

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 controversies Bob Beatty, a Washburn political science professor, said that bringing in an outside consultant at this stage could help Marshall push back against several controversies that have hampered his campaign. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 The First Proof team has received many requests to test open-weight models from mathematicians concerned about privacy after recent high-profile controversies. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 Black women are also routinely afforded the benefit of the doubt by the media during WNBA controversies. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The case is unusual in that public controversies over data usually involve consumers, Mayu Tobin-Miyaji, an attorney with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told the Miami Herald. — Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 The controversies surrounding Rogan’s show haven’t stopped Spotify from partnering with him. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026 The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 Fox and its founder, Rupert Murdoch, have faced controversies, scandals and litigation before. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 That project was beset by controversies and setbacks, including Essar Steel Minnesota filing for bankruptcy in 2016. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversies
  1. disputes
  2. disputations
  3. disagreements
  4. debates
  5. quarrels
  6. differences
  7. altercations
  8. arguments
Noun
  • Earlier this week, a Times report revealed Zhang had previously been charged with child abuse for leaving her oldest daughter in a hot car for hours, while Xuan was accused in a civil lawsuit of using violence in landlord-tenant disputes.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That provision could reignite disputes over whether Washington should establish a national standard or preserve stronger state protections.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • This contestation takes place through philosophical debates, religious disputations, and public discussions, whether direct or indirect, open or clandestine.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Definition of disputations
Noun
  • Pretoria has refused, despite disagreements within the coalition government.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Put Disagreements In Writing First Put disagreements in writing before anyone argues them out loud.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • This contestation takes place through philosophical debates, religious disputations, and public discussions, whether direct or indirect, open or clandestine.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Over the decades, the motives for ending public executions and moving them into prisons have varied – frequently separate from debates over capital punishment.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of debates
Noun
  • The overtones of social significance are adroitly handled and make real sense in an era of tragic international quarrels.
    — THR Staff, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of quarrels
Noun
  • Interestingly, though, when system components have very little temperature difference, the rate of thermal equilibrium is not the same as when the temperature differences are on the higher side.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The question hasn’t dominated the last few weeks of campaigning, with primaries long over and stark differences on Israel between most Democrats and Republicans.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of differences
Noun
  • Images showed altercations between police and protesters, with officers using batons to strike demonstrators, who threw barriers.
    — Joseph Wilson, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The election is taking place amid heightened political tensions in Serbia, with reports of incidents and physical altercations at campaign events.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of altercations
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

Browse Nearby Words

controversial
controversies
controversy
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Cite this Entry

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

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