arguments

noun

plural of argument
1
as in disputes
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions the couple's arguments were often loud enough to be heard all over the neighborhood

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2
as in explanations
a statement given to explain a belief or act gave a solid argument for the redeeming value of the shockingly violent movie

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3
as in discussions
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue the president of the Senate has allotted a week for the argument of the treaty

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4
as in contentions
an idea or opinion that is put forth in a discussion or debate it's my argument that we have too many problems here on earth to concern ourselves with manned trips to Mars

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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 arguments That argument, however, did not go far with Hall, nor did his other arguments. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Similarly, Sweeney was unpersuaded by NCAA legal arguments that, as a private, membership association, it is owed deference in making business judgments before findings of antitrust liability. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Fayette County State Court Judge Jason Thompson rejected her arguments. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 In June, an LA County Superior Court judge rejected the majority of the entertainment venue's arguments. — Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 The Sezioni Unite — the highest rung of the Cassazione — accepted her arguments and overturned previous rulings, including one by a lower tier of the Cassazione which had upheld the minor issue as recently as 2024. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 They are sometimes submitted by outside parties in lawsuits to help stress particular arguments or inform a judge’s thinking. — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Some diners noticed that the knives had other uses — picking teeth, for example, and settling arguments. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026 Carr’s legal arguments The Carr FCC makes several arguments to support its claim that Congress didn’t intend to forbid the FCC from changing or repealing the cap. — ArsTechnica, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arguments
  1. disputes
  2. explanations
  3. discussions
  4. contentions
  5. disagreements
  6. reasons
  7. debates
  8. assertions
Noun
  • Four seasons later, the veteran defensive tackle has returned to a different team — one that missed the playoffs for the first time in six years, is reeling over contract disputes and is looking to rebuild on both sides of the ball.
    — Abby DiSalvo, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The space is more neutral, particularly if disputes between roommates must be mediated or there are other sensitive matters, according to Max Koskoff, associate director for regional campus programs.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • For Bondele, the explanations have done little to ease the uncertainty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Signage, register prompts, receipts and employee explanations all shape whether customers view rounding as a reasonable adjustment or another example of being nickel-and-dimed.
    — Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of explanations
Noun
  • Often ignored in discussions about drought, fire, and climate change in general, are the world’s oceans, which are warming just as the air is.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Iran and Oman have been in discussions for several days about a management plan for the Strait of Hormuz, which has emerged as the focal point of the ongoing war between the US and the Islamic Republic.
    — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of discussions
Noun
  • Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, whose tenure brought team success and three World Series contentions, now faces significant scrutiny over his business practices.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • At the time, Sackler offered no response to these contentions.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Definition of contentions
Noun
  • The Arizona Republican said his respect for Ossoff’s character outweighed their policy disagreements.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In the years before David’s death, Herb claims that David had repeatedly attempted to buy him out of SFG, but those talks broke down over disagreements on the valuation of his stake.
    — Kirk Ogunrinde, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • Someone who bought a Powerball ticket at a Front Range grocery store this week has many, many reasons to celebrate – 500,000 reasons before tax, to be exact.
    — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Maresca knows that some players need a fresh start for various reasons, which is why James Trafford moved on, despite his close relationship with the Italian from their time together in the under-23s.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasons
Noun
  • Blackburn declined in July to participate in any debates, and Rose backed out when it was set to be only him and Fritts on stage.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Larkin has used Moskowitz’s refusal to appear with him to accuse the reelection-seeking congressman of ducking debates and avoiding the voters.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of debates
Noun
  • Whether the church’s assertions withstand analytic scrutiny is a different question.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
  • So, how does the rest of the longevity world view their assertions?
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of assertions

Browse Nearby Words

argumentative
arguments
Argus-eyed
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Cite this Entry

“Arguments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arguments. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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