1
as in consideration
a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something
after much debate, I decided to get the chocolate ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter
there was a great deal of debate over the need for cutting costs by eliminating some programs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in discussion
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
there was no debate over the expenditures before the vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to ponder
to give serious and careful thought to
still debating what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discuss
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
we debated the advantages versus the disadvantages of the proposed waterfront development
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debate
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025
The Barbz quickly worked to shut that notion down, but the debate raged on between the two fanbases.
—Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025
Republicans say that other policy priorities should be debated as part of the annual appropriations process, not as part of a short-term funding solution.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debate
Noun
The 36-year-old engaged in a passionate debate about the current state of American politics Friday morning on the ABC talk show.
—Verb
Whether this apparent reduction in human population size resulted from the Toba supereruption or some other factor is heavily debated.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for debate
Noun
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Surprisingly, new home sales increased before mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in months in recent weeks, meaning that buyers did not take into consideration lower borrowing costs.—
-
Kolek — alongside Ryan Bergert, Noah Cameron and others — will be in consideration for a rotation spot in spring training.—
Noun
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The post adds fuel to the ongoing controversy surrounding Kimmel’s reinstatement, which followed backlash over his comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.—
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Disney is hiking the price of its subscription streaming service — and the timing couldn’t be more awkward, given the controversy surrounding the media giant’s handling of Jimmy Kimmel this past week.—
Noun
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This information, however, is fed to the board by the company, which by necessity involves a degree of filtering to decide the amount of detail required and the depth of the discussion.—
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The discussion touched on the impact of A-list festival selections and wins as well as victory at the Academy Awards.—
Verb
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Song broke out with her 2023 drama Past Lives, which follows a woman from Seoul, South Korea, who ponders her relationship with a childhood friend in the decades after her family immigrates to Canada and marries an American man in New York City.—
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These are all questions to ponder when evaluating expertise as a leader.—
Verb
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On Tuesday, steps away from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York City, TIME hosted a panel to discuss how AI is transforming systems to address global challenges.—
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This was followed by a montage of media reports discussing his return to late-night hosting duties.—
Noun
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Planning or deliberation can undercut both prongs, and Utah decisions emphasize that receiving an EED instruction is easier than winning on the ultimate question.—
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In retrospect, that jury seemed more sympathetic to the defense’s case than the one that ultimately found Wenger guilty after less than a full day of deliberation.—
Noun
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The dispute affected educators and policymakers statewide — but Pendleton managed to take the best of both literacy methods and apply them to the 130,000-plus students then enrolled in San Diego schools, Lopez said.—
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And with the network television settlements, the payouts arose after personal legal disputes.—
Noun
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On 10 September, the Council held consultations in response to the large-scale violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones.—
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The show was directed on Broadway by Stephen Kessler, with creative consultation by Jeff Calhoun, and dramaturgy by Seth Barrish.—
Cite this Entry
“Debate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debate. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
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