CONTENDING (WITH) Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

contending (with)

verb

present participle of contend (with)

as in addressing

to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently a multitude of problems to contend with as soon as he returned to the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in opposing

to strive to reduce or eliminate medical missionaries who daily contend with disease and poverty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contending (with)

Verb

This is the first in a five-piece-series addressing how to test and train your balance at home.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Meeting their needs requires addressing stagnant Medicaid rates for behavioral health and ensuring health insurance covers behavioral needs, advocates said.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of addressing

Verb

Padilla accused Soto-Martínez of engaging in a double standard, asking the council to defer to his wishes in his district while opposing efforts by his colleagues to establish no-encampment zones in their communities.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
With the series level 1–1, the third Test in Adelaide was highly anticipated; Pataudi was dropped, supposedly for opposing the bodyline tactic.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of opposing

Verb

That gives the new processor a path into systems handling large transaction-processing and data-intensive workloads.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026
Such transformers are physically smaller and lighter than conventional transformers, have modular designs that enable easy upgrades or replacements of parts, and can perform as all-in-one power electronic devices by handling multiple tasks.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of handling

Verb

Body camera footage shows that Jonah Neal did not pose a threat that warranted deadly force when a member of the federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis shot him in late May, according to a lawyer representing his family.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
Surveillance video obtained by ABC7 New York shows two men fighting in the street before gunshots ring out, and a vehicle swerves around the moped, appearing to flee the scene.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

The experiment, therefore, suggests that empty space itself could become a new tool for manipulating quantum matter, much like other efforts to push the limits of superconducting materials.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Herrouet was arrested in November and charged with grand theft and running a scheme to defraud by employing relatives and manipulating payroll expenses, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

— Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of manipulating

Verb

Guidance includes carrying ample water and supplies, checking road and weather conditions in advance and taking an alternative means of communication, such as a satellite communicator or emergency beacon.

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Video from the scene showed law enforcement officers taking cover behind patrol SUVs on the street near the home as a small tactical team behind a handheld shield moved toward the structure.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of taking

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.

Browse Nearby Words

contending

contending (with)

contends

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contending (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contending%20%28with%29. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of contending (with)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

devolve

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes