1
2
as in argues
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
contended that the senator's considerable experience made him the best candidate
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in alleges
to state as a fact usually forcefully
contended that his opponent was wrong about practically everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contends
The unsettled conference status for Ursuline is causing the school harm, the complaint contends.
—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 July 2026
On Thursday, federal court records show, attorneys for Marseille filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, seeking damages for what the suit contends was undue use of force.
—
Paige St. John,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2026
The governor’s office contends that transmission costs are a growing component of electric bills in Connecticut.
—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2026
Ryder, whose firm provides financial advice to individuals and businesses, contends market conditions will determine whether upcoming mega-cap IPOs will rip a page from SpaceX's playbook.
—
Emma Wilson,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
By approving the permit, the city contends, regulators allowed the company to violate another state rule meant to protect public water wells from commercial disposal sites.
—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
30 June 2026
Alpha-gal was more of a private enterprise, another rumor contends.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
The report contends that recent federal policy has compounded those challenges.
—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The agency contends such a sale would violate RMS Titanic's legal obligations to the site, according to documents a judge ordered unsealed earlier this month.
—
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 July 2026
On Thursday, federal court records show, attorneys for Marseille filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, seeking damages for what the suit contends was undue use of force.
—
Paige St. John,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2026
The governor’s office contends that transmission costs are a growing component of electric bills in Connecticut.
—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2026
Ryder, whose firm provides financial advice to individuals and businesses, contends market conditions will determine whether upcoming mega-cap IPOs will rip a page from SpaceX's playbook.
—
Emma Wilson,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
By approving the permit, the city contends, regulators allowed the company to violate another state rule meant to protect public water wells from commercial disposal sites.
—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
30 June 2026
Alpha-gal was more of a private enterprise, another rumor contends.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
The report contends that recent federal policy has compounded those challenges.
—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The agency contends such a sale would violate RMS Titanic's legal obligations to the site, according to documents a judge ordered unsealed earlier this month.
—
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contends
Verb
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According to Reuters, Gakpo was given time off to spend with his family, who are staying near the team base in Kansas City as the Netherlands competes in the World Cup.
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With a 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame, Palmquest also competes in shot put and threw 46 1/2 feet as a sophomore, taking first in Aledo’s district meet.
Verb
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The birthright citizenship ruling was a win for democracy — and a warning about erasing history, argues columnist Anita Chabria.
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Midjourney’s motion argues that it should also be allowed to dig deeper.
Verb
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Yet park rangers continued to cite Hubbard under that section, issuing two misdemeanor citations in May 2025, as well as a third that cited a different section of the ordinance, the most recent lawsuit alleges.
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The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
Verb
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Bradford asserts that clarifying and renegotiating these roles for shared ownership is paramount.
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Meanwhile, Kallmann asserts that his father, Hartmut, always maintained that the family art collection had been intact when the Nazi’s rose to power, and all the family’s belongings were stolen soon after.
Verb
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The group insists Yale must defend its lawful holistic admissions and educational leadership role.
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Rosa insists that her husband was unaware he would be sent to war.
Verb
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Now a controversial study claims that working from home worsened mental health.
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The video claims to show a FAB-500 aerial glide bomb destroying a UAV command post near Novopavlovka and a temporary deployment area in the Kherson region.
Cite this Entry
“Contends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contends. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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