How to Use controversial in a Sentence

controversial

adjective
  • He is a controversial author.
  • Abortion is a highly controversial subject.
  • There was no way this film would not be controversial.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
  • The shift from four crew members to three will no doubt be controversial.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 11 Oct. 2022
  • Back then, even the name was controversial.
    — Joe Donlon, CBS News, 4 June 2026
  • Collins has also made her share of controversial votes over the years.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 15 May 2026
  • That should not be – that should not be a controversial statement at all.
    — CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Turns out, this controversial recipe is a bit of a cult classic.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
  • More about the controversial plans and mock-ups of the coins is in the full story, here.
    — Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
  • And a controversial one at that.
    — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Now, this was a controversial topic in the test kitchen.
    — Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The matter of on-street parking proved to be just as controversial as the black olive trees.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
  • But she is widely viewed as more controversial.
    — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • And now, a controversial debate rages over whether or not to delist the grizzly bear.
    — Christine Peterson, Wired News, 5 July 2025
  • The tide turned in a controversial way on the next Jacksonville drive.
    — The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Their request, made in a letter last week, will be a controversial one.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 3 June 2026
  • The question of what to do with homeless cats is controversial.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
  • At the time, the figure-hugging look proved to be quite controversial.
    — André-Naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 16 June 2023
  • There’s currently a wait list for the next batch of the brand’s most controversial panties.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The notch was controversial upon its release, to say the least.
    — Yoni Heisler, BGR, 12 May 2022
  • His episode is the most controversial in the show's seven-season run.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • That should not be controversial.
    — Anne Brensley, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
  • The ending will be controversial for sure.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • The controversial shooting led to days of unrest and protests.
    — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The game also ended on a controversial strike three call that appeared to be out of the zone.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
  • But in this case, one of the biggest players in a controversial new drug market is based right here.
    — David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Who knew curling could be so controversial?
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
  • An Adam Fox one is more controversial.
    — The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • And with any controversial song, for better or worse, people are going to tune in.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2023
  • In the wake of the protests, the idea was controversial, and the city council rejected it.
    — Time, 4 Nov. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'controversial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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