DEBATES Synonyms: 175 Similar and Opposite Words

debates 1 of 2

noun

plural of debate

as in deliberations

a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something after much debate, I decided to get the chocolate ice cream

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

short shrifts

as in controversies

variance of opinion on a matter there was a great deal of debate over the need for cutting costs by eliminating some programs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in discussions

an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue there was no debate over the expenditures before the vote

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debates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of debate

as in studies

to give serious and careful thought to still debating what to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in discusses

to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion we debated the advantages versus the disadvantages of the proposed waterfront development

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 debates

Noun

Which way silverware should be placed in a dishwasher is the subject of hot debates. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026 Kirk founded Turning Point USA and became one of the most recognizable conservative activists in the country through campus tours, political commentary and public debates that often attracted both supporters and protesters. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Picking up on Graham’s debate flub regarding Taiwan, Andrews is trying to arrange a pair of general election debates with Graham. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Its relatively narrow focus on the first postcolonial decades might have dramatized the period’s ideological debates or at least clarified the stakes. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026 Stan Wars, co-hosted by Ian Slater (H3) and Olivia Lopes (H3, Rodiculous Pod), digs into the big pop culture debates of our time, dissecting the various arguments within the entertainment world to determine who is right and who is wrong. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 In Georgia, the lieutenant governor wields immense power in the state Senate by presiding over floor debates and making committee assignments that give them control over what bills reach the floor for a vote. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026 One of the key debates around Nvidia's stock has become whether its customers will generate sufficient returns on their AI computing infrastructure to justify continued spending on the company's chips and networking gear. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Her Democratic rival, Troy Jackson, has not yet agreed to appear at the debates, which would all be hosted by local news outlets. — Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

While his party debates abolishing prisons and owning grocery stores, Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie is cleaning up his city. — Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 The show, which has been on air for 15 years, uses a roundtable format in which the panel debates politics, pop culture and other current events. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 The download numbers are a reminder that even as Washington restricts chip exports and debates AI export controls, Chinese open models are winning developer mindshare globally. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 While everyone else debates the AI market with leaderboards and analyst estimates, Stripe would be able to watch it in real time. — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Nvidia is heading up a new alliance of tech industry giants focused on keeping open-source AI models secure as Washington debates how and whether to restrict them. — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 27 July 2026 However, Ryan McCormick, co-founder of Goldman McCormick PR, told Fox News Digital that debates over historical accuracy are unlikely to deter most moviegoers. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 Paxton’s campaign declined to elaborate on which debates Paxton plans to participate in and whether they’ll be televised. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 While the country debates its own past, Stan Franklin was at the memorial thinking about its future. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debates

Noun

The next day, closing arguments began, followed by jury deliberations.

— Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
The university, like campuses nationwide, is barred by federal privacy law from discussing individual discipline cases or internal deliberations, even when a student goes public.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of deliberations

Noun

Republican lawmaker Carl DeMaio of San Diego has vocalized his opposition in discussions of the bill, criticizing the idea of providing funding to outlets that make political endorsements.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
The study begins as international discussions around maritime nuclear technology gather pace.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of discussions

Verb

Determining that involves combining a deep understanding of the land’s features, as well as tracking possible triggers such as earthquake, says Ben Orlove, an anthropologist who studies climate risks at Columbia University.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, who studies cases involving vaccine disputes, told me that judges sometimes favor the pro-vaccine parent, but not always.

— Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of studies

Verb

Here, the company’s founder and president of the board Carlos Pereira de Souza discusses DelRio’s competitive advantages, its plans to further scale its business and what sets Brazil apart as a sourcing destination.

— SJ Studio, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
This week on Talking Central Florida, Central Florida reporter Mike Schneider discusses his former career at the Associated Press covering the Sunshine State.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of discusses

Noun

The company reports that its technology has supported 18 million clinical consultations across thousands of hospitals in the United States.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Provide a mobile health unit, transportation, telehealth specialty consultations, care coordination, patient navigation, postpartum follow-up, and obstetric workforce training.

— Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of consultations

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debates

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Style

“Debates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debates. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of debates

noun

verb

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