as in controversial
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1
as in questioned
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir
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2
as in bickered
to express different opinions about something often angrily
hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team
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3
as in debated
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
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Recent Examples of disputed
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2026
Diplomatic relations stagnate, Greenland is quietly regarded as a disputed zone, and foreign investment stalls as uncertainty rises.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Cambodia was awarded sovereignty over the disputed area, including the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, in 1962 by the International Court of Justice.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
The disputed 2024 presidential election ignited nationwide protests and a sweeping government crackdown.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
Myanmar’s military rulers claim lead in disputed poll Myanmar’s military rulers claimed to have dominated the first phase of national elections widely dismissed as a sham but which were nevertheless notable for China’s growing role.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Beijing has also in recent years presided over a policy of relocating villages to fortify or in some cases expand its claim along disputed boundaries.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Several years later, in 2010, the detention of a Chinese fisherman by Japanese forces in disputed water caused a temporary embargo on rare earth exports, something Japanese industry is heavily reliant on.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
The blast has rattled nerves in India, which almost went to war with its neighbor and fellow nuclear power, Pakistan, over an April terrorist attack in the disputed region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2025
Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Reports ahead of the game suggested the NFL had discouraged the gesture, though the league disputed that account.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
Despite a wave of military coups and disputed election results in parts of the continent in recent years, economic challenges faced by Africans outweighed concerns over democratic norms and the rule of law.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
This rule of thumb is disputed and depends on many other factors.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2026
Cooper’s campaign disputed the allegations and said Brown was not released as part of the settlement, while defending Cooper’s record on public safety.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Local and state officials have disputed federal officials' claims.
—Mark Guarino, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
Tucker denied the allegations and disputed Tracy’s version of events.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Tulare County officials initially estimated that 150 vehicles were involved in the crash in a post shared to Facebook earlier on Saturday, but CHP disputed that number, saying there were 59 vehicles involved in the pileup.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
City Council documents said the disputed portion of the property falls completely outside Willow Park’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2026
Diplomatic relations stagnate, Greenland is quietly regarded as a disputed zone, and foreign investment stalls as uncertainty rises.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Cambodia was awarded sovereignty over the disputed area, including the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, in 1962 by the International Court of Justice.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
The disputed 2024 presidential election ignited nationwide protests and a sweeping government crackdown.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
Myanmar’s military rulers claim lead in disputed poll Myanmar’s military rulers claimed to have dominated the first phase of national elections widely dismissed as a sham but which were nevertheless notable for China’s growing role.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Beijing has also in recent years presided over a policy of relocating villages to fortify or in some cases expand its claim along disputed boundaries.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Several years later, in 2010, the detention of a Chinese fisherman by Japanese forces in disputed water caused a temporary embargo on rare earth exports, something Japanese industry is heavily reliant on.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
The blast has rattled nerves in India, which almost went to war with its neighbor and fellow nuclear power, Pakistan, over an April terrorist attack in the disputed region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
Denver drivers continue to be impacted by a change in how parking tickets are disputed.
—Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Reports ahead of the game suggested the NFL had discouraged the gesture, though the league disputed that account.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
Despite a wave of military coups and disputed election results in parts of the continent in recent years, economic challenges faced by Africans outweighed concerns over democratic norms and the rule of law.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
This rule of thumb is disputed and depends on many other factors.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2026
Cooper’s campaign disputed the allegations and said Brown was not released as part of the settlement, while defending Cooper’s record on public safety.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Local and state officials have disputed federal officials' claims.
—Mark Guarino, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
Tucker denied the allegations and disputed Tracy’s version of events.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Tulare County officials initially estimated that 150 vehicles were involved in the crash in a post shared to Facebook earlier on Saturday, but CHP disputed that number, saying there were 59 vehicles involved in the pileup.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputed
Adjective
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For instance, one very controversial current issue is whether women can keep their original names, the names they’re born with, after getting married.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Another theory posited that the 64 was a reference to the initial government death toll for 2017's Hurricane Maria, a controversial claim that was eventually corrected to 1,427.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hypnotists questioned the children who were with Shannon that afternoon.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
While Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told lawmakers on the record the streamer is about a 45-day exclusive theatrical window for movies, many rival studio sources have questioned the streaming boss’ intent.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The actors jokingly bickered about their history with the ceremony, with Cheadle remarking that Clooney hadn’t won since 2026 winner Timothée Chalamet was 3 years old.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Jan. 2026
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On 33 occasions since 2017, Congress has been forced to pass emergency extensions to the flood insurance program, as lawmakers bickered over budgets and looming shutdowns threatened to disrupt it, according to a letter the National Association of Realtors sent to Congress ahead of the shutdown.—
Rukmini Callimachi,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Whether this movement toward harder jumps is the right direction for skating’s future is fiercely debated, both among the figure skating community and fans.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
9 Feb. 2026
-
At one point, the organization debated whether or not to convert him to outfield full-time, but eventually settled on keeping him at third.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Previous research on coffee, tea and dementia risk has been inconclusive, said Niotis, who wasn’t involved in the study.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Inflammation and Other Health Claims Are Less Clear A2 milk is sometimes promoted for potential anti-inflammatory benefits, but the evidence is inconclusive.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The planned 90,000-square-foot project would represent the most significant change to the White House grounds in decades and is advancing even as it is challenged in court and questioned on Capitol Hill.—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
He’s being challenged by Kenya Franklin, a media consultant on political campaigns.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Critics argued that the hotel industry was already faced with the minimum wage changes and low demand, and increasing taxes by any amount could send tourists to competing hotels in nearby cities.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In a 2014 editorial, the Times argued the federal ban on the drug should be repealed, and the decision should be left up to the individual states.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Neither Iran nor Oman offered any details on what had been discussed in Larijani's meetings.—
JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Bauer proposed another amendment based on a moment that occurred when the bill was being discussed in the House Judiciary committee.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputed. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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