1
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter
a dispute over the proper pronunciation of "nuclear"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disagreements
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 challenges
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 bickers
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 debates
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 disputes
Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 May 2026
File disputes with the credit bureaus.
—Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Wrongful dismissal, severance negotiation, harassment claims, and contract disputes become solvable frameworks, not emotional standoffs.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Ruth Getachew oversees consumer assistance at the insurance administration and her team helps residents navigate denials and billing disputes for free.
—Davi Jacobs, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
Trade and tariff disputes, technology restrictions, and security tensions, from the Taiwan Strait to the broader Asia-Pacific, have hardened attitudes on both sides.
—Yu Jie, Time, 13 May 2026
Luther Evans hosted Wayne Grover, the Archivist of the United States, in a bid to settle one of the strangest, and longest-simmering, custody disputes in government history.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Democrats see it as a frivolous investigation that lays the groundwork for disputes during the midterms and sows doubts about the integrity of the state’s electoral process.
—Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 18 May 2026
The same report notes that Hilton publicly disputes Becerra’s assertion of front-runner status by citing polls indicating a tight race, underscoring that the campaigns are aggressively contesting the narrative rather than drifting in ambiguity.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
The subpoenas are part of the DOJ’s ongoing court case against EZ Lynk over its alleged role in Clean Air Act violations, which the company disputes.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
No one disputes that child abuse is a serious problem that demands serious policy.
—James R Mason, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Reporting by the Salt Lake Tribune disputes this claim.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Hialeah Public Works Director Kevin Lynskey disputes HSA’s claims and told the Herald that the health system has repeatedly ignored emails from the city, including as recently as April, to start the account creation process.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
The city disputes the privatization claim, saying that the city and Boston Public Schools will maintain ownership of the stadium under a 10-year lease agreement with Boston Legacy.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Manager disputes underfunding claims Halburnt has been Federal Heights’ city manager since 2012, working as the city’s top administrative official.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Noun
Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos.
—Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 May 2026
File disputes with the credit bureaus.
—Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Wrongful dismissal, severance negotiation, harassment claims, and contract disputes become solvable frameworks, not emotional standoffs.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Ruth Getachew oversees consumer assistance at the insurance administration and her team helps residents navigate denials and billing disputes for free.
—Davi Jacobs, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
Trade and tariff disputes, technology restrictions, and security tensions, from the Taiwan Strait to the broader Asia-Pacific, have hardened attitudes on both sides.
—Yu Jie, Time, 13 May 2026
Luther Evans hosted Wayne Grover, the Archivist of the United States, in a bid to settle one of the strangest, and longest-simmering, custody disputes in government history.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Democrats see it as a frivolous investigation that lays the groundwork for disputes during the midterms and sows doubts about the integrity of the state’s electoral process.
—Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
However, the hospital disputes these characterizations.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 18 May 2026
The same report notes that Hilton publicly disputes Becerra’s assertion of front-runner status by citing polls indicating a tight race, underscoring that the campaigns are aggressively contesting the narrative rather than drifting in ambiguity.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
The subpoenas are part of the DOJ’s ongoing court case against EZ Lynk over its alleged role in Clean Air Act violations, which the company disputes.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
No one disputes that child abuse is a serious problem that demands serious policy.
—James R Mason, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Reporting by the Salt Lake Tribune disputes this claim.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Hialeah Public Works Director Kevin Lynskey disputes HSA’s claims and told the Herald that the health system has repeatedly ignored emails from the city, including as recently as April, to start the account creation process.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
The city disputes the privatization claim, saying that the city and Boston Public Schools will maintain ownership of the stadium under a 10-year lease agreement with Boston Legacy.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Manager disputes underfunding claims Halburnt has been Federal Heights’ city manager since 2012, working as the city’s top administrative official.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputes
Noun
-
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
-
One of his ex-wives addressed his racist language In the midst of Fuhrman's controversies in the Simpson murder trial, his second wife, Janet (then Hackett), spoke to several news outlets to share her opinions on her ex-husband.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Fewer people are getting SNAP benefits These aren’t the only challenges retailers that accept SNAP benefits face.—
Benjamin Chrisinger,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
-
The report also challenges the assumption that administrative systems are neutral in their impact on students.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When Nature Doesn’t Wait While the museum world debates loans and returns, a more immediate threat is accelerating.—
Annika Erikson,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2026
-
Data center debates takeover small town Texas Many state and local officials welcome the blossoming industry as an economic opportunity in small communities where revenue can be hard to come by.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Rawlence also questions whether what Colossal is doing is really reviving extinct species.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
19 May 2026
-
Beneath today’s economic pressures remains a lingering question many workers continue asking themselves that questions what a sustainable life actually looks like in an increasingly unstable economy.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disputes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputes. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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