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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debatable
What is not debatable is that the US-Ukraine minerals deal, while hollow in immediate extractive gain for the US and in many respects a Trump defeat, heralds a new age.
—
Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
While the issue of gun violence is complicated and while many responses are debatable, this trend is neither.
—Joel Mosbacher, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
While her in-ring skills were debatable among fans, her undeniable charisma and strong connection with the WWE audience were consistently praised.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Both obviously deserve the opportunity to fix this (that isn’t even debatable with Spoelstra).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
While the issue of gun violence is complicated and while many responses are debatable, this trend is neither.
—Joel Mosbacher, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
While her in-ring skills were debatable among fans, her undeniable charisma and strong connection with the WWE audience were consistently praised.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Both obviously deserve the opportunity to fix this (that isn’t even debatable with Spoelstra).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debatable
Adjective
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Technical guardrails help ensure agents stay within scope and flag questionable output for human review.—
Spencer Dorn,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, and, under a questionable legal basis, the Secretary of Defense has put Marines at Camp Pendleton on alert.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Thrilling upset launches unconventional Finals: Oklahoma City and Indiana both chasing their first NBA championship made for a dubious national ratings sell, and the Knicks’ sudden firing of coach Tom Thibodeau glommed attention as the Finals began.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2025
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Their once-close relationship came under scrutiny again on Thursday when billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk alleged the president was a party to Epstein’s dubious behavior.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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But certifying who gets to participate in the lawsuit can take months or years, while a policy and its arguable harms would survive.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
-
The Eagles also had dynamic and arguable MVP running back Saquon Barkley in the backfield.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The comment was in answer to how Friends, in its second resurgence in the streaming era, was receiving some criticism for some of its problematic elements, i.e. the lack of diversity, homophobia, sexism, etc.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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All signs point to some problematic visitors heading to Wellsbury in season 4.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump and Musk will meet by the end of the year—giving that likelihood a 57 percent chance—but are doubtful that a meeting will come in the coming weeks.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
-
Initially doubtful of her claim to survivor status, she’s emboldened by her female friends to speak openly of her experience, which in turn becomes the cause célèbre that carries the entire movement.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Quiet Skies was revealed in 2018 by The Boston Globe, which said the program deployed air marshals, who fly armed and undercover to thwart terrorists, to track dozens of suspicious travelers daily.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
-
Most of the calls were for more minor problems, such as trespassing and suspicious people, but three were related to battery, one for reported gunshots, another for an armed disturbance and one for a wanted person, the records show.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debatable. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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