Definition of argumentnext
1
2
as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act gave a solid argument for the redeeming value of the shockingly violent movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
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as in contention
an idea or opinion that is put forth in a discussion or debate it's my argument that we have too many problems here on earth to concern ourselves with manned trips to Mars

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 argument John Shaban, a former three-term Republican state representative from Redding, was interrogated about the recent administrative suspension of his law license in New York and, before that, his being charged with disorderly conduct after an argument with his girlfriend. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026 The evidence presented in Los Angeles bolstered the plaintiff's arguments that Meta and YouTube executives knew of their products' design harms and failed to adequately address them. Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026 Trump stayed for his side's argument and then walked out shortly after the challengers began making theirs. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026 Colorado’s failed ‘professional speech’ argument Colorado faced a major obstacle in defending the Colorado conversion therapy law. Kevin Cope, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for argument
Recent Examples of Synonyms for argument
Noun
  • The high-profile dispute has, over the past year and a half, ensnared several other celebrities in Lively and Baldoni's orbit as the discovery process in their case exposed the stars' private communications.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Owens had expressed frustrations to her mother about an ongoing dispute with her neighbor Susan Lorincz that dated back to February 2022.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Willick was not convinced by this explanation, noting that many graphic and upsetting stories had been shared from the bimah in the past two and a half years—stories about violence perpetrated by Hamas.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Braves manager Walt Weiss came out of the home dugout for an explanation.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • An online discussion about forming an unofficial supporters section brought four guys together for a beer.
    Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Have a frank discussion with your lawyer.
    Wendy Hickey, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Sure, a lot of other stuff has to go right for the Royals to return to contention, including keeping their pitching staff healthy and progress by Caglianone and fellow promising rookie Carter Jensen.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
  • But what lingered most after the meeting concluded was not the council’s split vote contention.
    Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Department of Defense’s quarrel with the Anthropic began after the company refused to back down over contractual guardrails around the use of its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.
    Devan Cole, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
  • My quarrel is not with the science of LNG itself.
    Joel McPherson, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • New romance is a reason to celebrate!
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The future of legal sports betting States that have not yet legalized sports betting may still see similar trends in financial insecurity for reasons beyond spillover effects.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Building and construction unions no longer can use their old rhetorical cudgel in this debate — calling prefab homes flimsy and unsafe.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Rothman’s tenure has been marked by his efforts to increase state funding amid federal cuts, debates over free speech on campus amid pro-Palestinian protests, and declining enrollment leading to eight branch campus closures.
    Scott Bauer, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The company disputes the cancer-causing assertions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • That term encompasses exaggerated, subjective assertions of optimism that are not intended to be taken as factual, are too general to cause a reasonable investor to rely upon them and are not actionable in securities law.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Argument.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/argument. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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