1
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter
a dispute over the proper pronunciation of "nuclear"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
after much dispute, the school committee decided that all backpacks would have to be stored in lockers during class hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to question
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bicker
to express different opinions about something often angrily
hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to debate
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
in an extended session the city council disputed the need for a new high school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dispute
Michael Brown, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, borrowers who have their loans in default should expect to receive an email in the next two weeks asking them to contact the Debt Resolution Group, which helps resolve disputes related to defaulted loans.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Trump, now 78, disputed that in a 2023 post on his Truth Social platform.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Noun
Congress could also impose penalties for spurious contract award disputes, which have become commonplace as a business strategy, as such disputes open the possibility that losing companies can compete again for the contract.
—Michael Brown, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, borrowers who have their loans in default should expect to receive an email in the next two weeks asking them to contact the Debt Resolution Group, which helps resolve disputes related to defaulted loans.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
The matter has been discussed, disputed, and litigated multiple times.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Trump, now 78, disputed that in a 2023 post on his Truth Social platform.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispute
Noun
-
Despite the controversy, for the Hilton, that doesn't change the imperative to serve.—
Major Garrett,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Now, with the controversy behind him, Benn has the opportunity to finally face Eubank in the ring.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The quarrel escalated into a fight, and Hernandez was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, cops said.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
-
As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned the district’s defense that the books are being used to promote respect for others and to show that the world is diverse.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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But critics have questioned why the church, historically a defender of human rights and Christian values, would willingly join forces with the Chinese government, which under leader Xi Jinping has further curtailed religious freedom.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Sorrell also said bickering by leadership is affecting the community.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Pratt, whose character plays like a cross between Han Solo and Jack Burton, is gifted with a moment or two, bickering with Herman like a married couple and yeeting cars at Sentre headquarters.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Before the second tribal council, players in David's group debated between either voting out Cedrek McFadden or Shauhin Davari.—
Emily DeLetter,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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The origins of the pandemic have been hotly debated since its start.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Jake is a single father who has brought Kristen up in the severe Calvinist tradition, marked by Bible disputations of Talmudic intricacy and by a radical detachment from secular and popular culture.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2023
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Seven decades later, this culture of disputation emerged as a central theme in Timothy Garton Ash’s The Magic Lantern, his eyewitness report on the Eastern European revolutions of 1989.—
Susie Linfield,
The New York Review of Books,
11 May 2022
Noun
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Panthers center Sam Bennett, who had a contentious altercation with Marchand in Round 2 of the playoffs last year, said Marchand’s first message after being added to the team group chat was a chirp.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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The footage shows an altercation between Perez and a man that officials say lasted for about 15 minutes before officers arrived on the scene.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The playful, hands-on approach turned the tasting into an interactive game, allowing guests to challenge their spice tolerance against Buldak’s infamous heat.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The Trump administration is likely to challenge all three rulings.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispute. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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