1
as in dispute
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 debate
variance of opinion on a matter
there is considerable controversy regarding the assassination of President Kennedy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of controversy
The conviction joins a running list of jail controversies for the Sheriff’s Office, mostly occurring under the previous administration under Laurie Smith and costing the county more than $20 million in legal settlements.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
The controversy stems from the outcome of Saturday's CIF Southern Section Division finals in Moorpark, California.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Its push into e-commerce hasn’t come without controversy or delays.
—Michelle Castillo, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is creating a district-wide student free speech policy following controversy last fall.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
The controversy stems from the outcome of Saturday's CIF Southern Section Division finals in Moorpark, California.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Its push into e-commerce hasn’t come without controversy or delays.
—Michelle Castillo, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is creating a district-wide student free speech policy following controversy last fall.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
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The dispute has also been tied to retention, with discontent feeding concerns that talent may leave for SK Hynix, Samsung’s aggressive memory rival.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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There is no formal system for resolving disputes over impressions, and performers often avoid escalating them publicly — Hammond among them.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Noun
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As tensions rise between the United States and China over trade, technology, Taiwan and military influence, the relationship between the world’s two largest economies is increasingly shaping global politics and national security debates.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
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While the first debate, hosted by Nexstar on April 22, was relatively calm, the subsequent three debates were more chaotic, often serving as an opportunity for candidates to lob accusations at one another.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Charles Melton plays an American GI named Private K who’s trying to locate his daughter and keeps getting into bloody altercations.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
The argument escalates into a physical altercation, with the two characters coming to blows in the middle of the newsroom.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
This did not, however, mark the end of disputation concerning the Northwest Angle.—
Scott Spires,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 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
Noun
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Public safety dominated the exchange, with sharp disagreements over crime trends, law enforcement authority and the role sheriffs should play in statewide policy.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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In addition, this legislation could provide leaders with protection on state laws pertaining to NIL, which has led to lawsuits and a plethora of disagreements.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
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As the trio quarrels, bonds and ventures through the wild unknown, Felix discovers that true bravery may change not only his own destiny, but also the future of his home.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The argument for keeping an underperforming manager tends to centre on whether there were enough mitigating circumstances behind a bad season, and whether the club can use their summer to make the correct changes in player recruitment and wider infrastructure to fix things.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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This abrupt stylistic shift is in service of an overtly political argument.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The fight will be contested at welterweight, and White did not clarify how many rounds the bout would be contested at.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Uthmeier has taken a courageous stand, and should finish the fight.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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