1
as in questionable
open to question or dispute
it's always debatable which college football team is really number one, since there's more than one ranking system
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disputable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the debatable wisdom of going back for another helping from the buffet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debatable
In straight-line acceleration, the outcome was no longer debatable.
—
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
That’s definitely debatable, especially regarding the former.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
And the idea that Denmark has it right on vaccines — even for its own population — is debatable.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Any others are debatable at best.
—CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
That’s definitely debatable, especially regarding the former.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
And the idea that Denmark has it right on vaccines — even for its own population — is debatable.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Any others are debatable at best.
—CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
-
New England Patriots linebackers Robert Spillane and Harold Landry III were officially listed as questionable for the Super Bowl.—
Amos Morale III,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
While Britain is suffering perhaps the most dramatic upheaval in the wake of the latest batch of Epstein files, association with the billionaire is popping up across the globe like a pandemic of questionable judgment.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That disputable appraisal turned a few heads, and people began peppering the bot for further remarks on Musk’s physical prowess.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2025
-
That time, a very disputable foul denied him.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What’s not arguable is that Burrows should get an Oscar for finding Viggo Mortensen to take over Aragorn with a quickness.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
2 Feb. 2026
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Its arguable defining moment so far came in a tense interview with Representative Ritchie Torres, one of the Democratic Party’s most ardent defenders of Israel.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The three central male characters — Mike, Lou, and Orman — all converge on the archetype of the lone wolf, a dubious label the collaboration-shirking Lou has taken on in his precinct, and one his colleagues are decidedly over.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
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Lake will retain the ability to undermine the broadcasters, but her expensive, monthslong, legally dubious attempt to destroy them has so far failed.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But other parts of her story were problematic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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But other parts of her story were problematic.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Injury report Heat forward Pelle Larsson is listed as doubtful for Sunday at Washington due to the elbow contusion sustained in Friday night’s loss in Boston, keeping him out for that second half.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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But even if measles’ severe outcomes were more common, Limaye and others were doubtful that many more Americans would be moved to act.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Pennsylvania State Police's fire marshal unit in Greensburg is offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest in connection with a suspicious fire in August.—
Erika Stanish,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Clippers investigation Silver said he has been told the Clippers have been cooperative with the external investigation into their possible circumvention of the salary cap through a suspicious endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard with a now-bankrupt company.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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