1
as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the seemingly imperishable controversy over the teaching of evolution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in debate
variance of opinion on a matter
there is considerable controversy regarding the assassination of President Kennedy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of controversy
The stakes are high for FAMU, which is still reeling from past leadership controversies.
—
Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 17 May 2025
On Saturday morning, the PGA of America released a statement on the controversy, via Kyle Porter of Normal Sport.
—Troy Finnegan, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
The new recruitment method has coincided with Patriot Front's faltering brand, the SPLC says, after years of controversies stemming from various lawsuits and acts of vandalism.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 17 May 2025
The new flight, which started Dec. 10, will come to an end on June 25, an apparent casualty of declining demand for travel by Canadians to the U.S. in the wake of rising political tensions and controversy surrounding tariffs.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 17 May 2025
On Saturday morning, the PGA of America released a statement on the controversy, via Kyle Porter of Normal Sport.
—Troy Finnegan, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
The new recruitment method has coincided with Patriot Front's faltering brand, the SPLC says, after years of controversies stemming from various lawsuits and acts of vandalism.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 17 May 2025
The new flight, which started Dec. 10, will come to an end on June 25, an apparent casualty of declining demand for travel by Canadians to the U.S. in the wake of rising political tensions and controversy surrounding tariffs.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for controversy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controversy
Noun
-
Lee-Gardner became involved in the dispute and is accused of hitting the homeowner in her head with a pistol.—
Mike Stunson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2025
-
This dispute is one of several signs revealing a worsening relationship between the two leaders, reflecting broader disagreements on Iran, regional conflicts, economic policy, and diplomatic priorities.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
The future of the square has been a subject of heated debate.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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After a lengthy debate, the three moderates picked up two votes in their effort to delay those changes, not enough to win the day.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
Jaques said officers at 7:49 a.m. on Sunday received a complaint from a woman who reported that someone was following her vehicle while waving a gun following an altercation at a local gas station.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2025
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Initial data provided by the department suggest that practicing the martial art not only helps boost officers' physical and mental health, but also enables cops to use less force during an arrest or altercation.—
Katja Ridderbusch,
NPR,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
Jake is a single father who has brought Kristen up in the severe Calvinist tradition, marked by Bible disputations of Talmudic intricacy and by a radical detachment from secular and popular culture.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2023
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Seven decades later, this culture of disputation emerged as a central theme in Timothy Garton Ash’s The Magic Lantern, his eyewitness report on the Eastern European revolutions of 1989.—
Susie Linfield,
The New York Review of Books,
11 May 2022
Noun
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However, disagreements on how she would be featured ended without a cover and with the friendship irrevocably broken.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
19 May 2025
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Some of my issues with it boil down to disagreements with Naughty Dog’s choices.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
The defense attorney suggested that Cassie’s rape allegation stemmed from a complicated quarrel playing out as their decade-plus relationship came to an end.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
-
Other great powers will have their territorial goals and quarrels and this does not normally concern you.—
Frank Lavin,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
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Yet Vance has for years been picking an argument with the Chief Justice over the legitimacy of federal court orders.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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The dynamic may be marked by frequent ruptures, including arguments, silent treatment or emotional withdrawal, followed by sudden closeness, reconciliation or affection.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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The awards ceremony reception was being held outdoors when the fight between two adults led to the stabbing, a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said in a statement.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2025
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Even when cases of public console hacking have led to protracted legal fights—such as George Hotz's saga with the PS3 or Team Xecuter's Switch jailbreaks—console makers don't seem to have used technical means to completely disable offline functions for specific consoles.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Controversy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controversy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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