1
2
as in argues
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
contended that the senator's considerable experience made him the best candidate
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in alleges
to state as a fact usually forcefully
contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contends
While the complaint was pending, Myer allegedly contacted Norwalk police and told them Gabriele was misusing a license plate again, the lawsuit contends.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
The lawsuit contends that the city’s response amounted to ratification of discriminatory conduct inside the office tasked with enforcing civil rights protections.
—Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
In his ongoing federal litigation, Tucker contends MSU violated his due process protections as a public university employee and, by allegedly treating him worse than white personnel, constituted race discrimination.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Feb. 2026
The company contends the pipe poses no health threat unless improperly handled, such as by cutting it with a power saw or drill.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
But Warden contends that many of the actual workers in the Bay retained their left-leaning politics.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Redrawing districts again could prompt a new legal challenge and lead a court to impose districts, Ferguson contends.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
It can be developed, Duckworth contends, not just in individuals but in organizations.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit contends that if not for the conspiracy, Michigan would be further along in transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward a greener economy, residents would be driving more EV vehicles and the United States wouldn't be playing catch-up to China in new energy technologies.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
The lawsuit contends that the city’s response amounted to ratification of discriminatory conduct inside the office tasked with enforcing civil rights protections.
—Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
In his ongoing federal litigation, Tucker contends MSU violated his due process protections as a public university employee and, by allegedly treating him worse than white personnel, constituted race discrimination.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Feb. 2026
The company contends the pipe poses no health threat unless improperly handled, such as by cutting it with a power saw or drill.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
But Warden contends that many of the actual workers in the Bay retained their left-leaning politics.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Redrawing districts again could prompt a new legal challenge and lead a court to impose districts, Ferguson contends.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
It can be developed, Duckworth contends, not just in individuals but in organizations.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit contends that if not for the conspiracy, Michigan would be further along in transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward a greener economy, residents would be driving more EV vehicles and the United States wouldn't be playing catch-up to China in new energy technologies.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contends
Verb
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Codex competes directly with Anthropic's Claude Code, which has seen a wave of adoption over the last year.—
Ashley Capoot,Kate Rooney,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
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Abby Winterberger competes in the halfpipe finals at Aspen in January.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, some major employers either believe AI tools will make junior staff more productive, as is the case with IBM, or that challenging early-career workers was necessary to maintain a talent pipeline, as PwC argues.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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The complaint argues that Harvard’s failure to provide records violates a material term of its federal financial assistance and hampers the government’s ability to complete its review.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite the prevalence of narcotics crimes, Jacobson alleges that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos does not want to work with other agencies, including Border Patrol and ICE.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Their lawsuit alleges Quero Silva was the national guard commander who instructed his officers to strip both male and female protestors and then kick and strike them with boots and helmets inside the barracks in Barquisimeto, west of Caracas.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Teams also have official pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, but the lawsuit asserts that teams’ X pages are used for real-time updates, injury reports and related data.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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In addition, Netflix asserts that retail streaming prices will go down, arguing that consumers see HBO Max as complementary to Netflix’s service, and as such competitors like Amazon’s Prime Video and Disney+/Hulu will be forced to keep pricing in check to fight for market share.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Reluctant to leave him alone, Henry insists Bill come to stay with him and his wife Pat (Katie McGrath), giving him time also with his adoring niece Debby (Tallulah Cavanaugh).—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Thus, quantum Darwinism insists that a unique classical world can and must emerge from quantum probabilities.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The company claims that the birds flew preset routes and returned to base on command, marking an unusual step toward animal-machine hybrids that blur the line between biology and robotics.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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However, in December, the company issued a statement about Oklahoma homeowners claims that attested to close coordination with the insurance department.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contends. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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