debater

noun

Definition of debaternext
as in disputant
a person who takes part in a dispute the debater was unable to come up with a convincing rebuttal for his opponent's argument

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debater The fraud debaters offer many preferred litmus tests. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 Dec. 2025 Porter is a talented debater but seemed overly defensive about her past hot temper. — George Skelton, Mercury News, 14 May 2026 Both were part of Richmond’s circle, and both were ready to debate an idea without deleting the debater. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Not focusing on data can drive a traditional debater crazy. — Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 27 May 2026 Judging simply by the crowd’s response, the debaters arguing that CSOs remain relevant won handily. — Justin Worland, Time, 20 Feb. 2026 Dylan Black, a SDA freshman who took the pilot course this year, said the class allowed students to learn more about each other and also become better debaters and thinkers. — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026 High school debaters are much more polite and reasonable, even compared to presidential candidates, the group’s president, Walt Breitinger, observed. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026 For instance, perhaps a student’s Activities List includes four years as a competitive debater, a part-time job choreographing for a local dance studio, and a long-running hobby restoring vintage radios. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debater
  1. defendant
  2. arguer
  3. plaintiff
  4. fighter
  5. contestant
  6. advocate
  7. scrapper
  8. brawler
Noun
  • His girlfriend, Syanna Ruiz, held their child in court, demanding the defendants remain behind bars.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • In court documents, O’Hara alleged the defendants violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, accusing them of unlawfully restricting free speech and initiating an unlawful seizure while using excessive force.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of defendant
Noun
  • Martha’s father, a law professor, had trained her to be a rational, step-by-step arguer.
    — Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of arguer
Noun
  • Former Republican Secretary of State and election law attorney Scott Gessler, who represented plaintiffs in court, says Democrats tried to circumvent the constitution by bringing two separate but interdependent measures.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • For example, if a water heater explodes in a house and the plaintiff tries to go up the ownership chain to reach the ultimate beneficial owners, that will be an inside liability.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of plaintiff
Noun
  • Unfortunately, some of Ukraine’s military leaders—who were raised under Soviet doctrine—are doing just this, using available fighter aircraft as simply airborne artillery.
    — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Red wavelengths are typically marketed for anti-aging benefits, while blue is positioned as an acne fighter.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of fighter
Noun
  • The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in New York on July 4, where contestants ate several days' worth of calories in just 10 minutes.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The reality star — who was briefly engaged to the winner of his season, Hannah Ann Sluss, and dated his fifth place contestant, Kelley Flanagan, on and off for years — addressed the book for the first time on Monday.
    — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of contestant
Noun
  • While advocates for court reporters say humans can still do the job better than machines, the fact that many hearings occur without any official transcript at all has drawn concern from top state officials.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Human rights advocates have also welcomed Jin’s release but cautioned that many members of Zion Church still remain behind bars.
    — Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 5 July 2026
Definition of advocate
Noun
  • Willis is a clear scrapper who can really move.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • As a result, a production version was never made, and the prototype was, like many project cars, sent to the scrapper.
    — Brett Berk, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of scrapper
Noun
  • Song of the Samurai is based on a popular manga series and tells the story of Toshizo Hijikata, a street brawler who makes a living selling medicine for his family.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
  • Paul returned to the ring in June against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, son of the legendary Mexican brawler.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
Definition of brawler

Browse Nearby Words

debated
debater
debaters
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Cite this Entry

“Debater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debater. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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