CONTEND: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for CONTEND?

Need another word that means the same as “contend”? Find 38 synonyms and 30 related words for “contend” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Contend” are: fight, struggle, argue, debate, fence, postulate, cope, deal, get by, grapple, make do, make out, manage, compete, vie, contest, repugn, cope with, face, grapple with, deal with, take on, pit oneself against, challenge, assert, maintain, hold, claim, profess, affirm, aver, avow, insist, state, declare, pronounce, allege, plead

Contend as a Verb

Definitions of "Contend" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “contend” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Come to terms with.
• Be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight.
• Maintain or assert.
• Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available.
• Assert something as a position in an argument.
• Struggle to surmount (a difficulty.
• Have an argument about something.
• Compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others.
• To make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation.
• Compete with others in a struggle to achieve (something.

Synonyms of "Contend" as a verb (38 Words)

affirm	To declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true. The referendum affirmed the republic s right to secede.
allege	Report or maintain. He alleged that he had been assaulted.
argue	Have an argument about something. It stands to reason she argued.
assert	Assert to be true. The company asserts that the cuts will not affect development.
aver	To declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true. He averred that he was innocent of the allegations.
avow	Assert or confess openly. He avowed that he had voted Labour in every election.
challenge	Issue a challenge to. A certain number of jurors may be challenged.
claim	Lay claim to as of an idea. They claimed on the maximum allowable amount.
compete	Compete for something engage in a contest measure oneself against others. No one can compete with his physical prowess.
contest	Oppose (an action or theory) as mistaken or wrong. She declared her intention to contest the presidency.
cope	(of a machine or system) have the capacity to deal successfully with. The roads are barely adequate to cope with the present traffic.
cope with	Come to terms with.
deal	Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available. Many of the men are dealing drugs.
deal with	Direct the course of; manage or control.
debate	Have an argument about something. MPs debated the issue in the Commons.
declare	Declare to be. Do you have anything to declare.
face	Cover the surface of something with a layer of a different material. If you were suddenly faced with an emergency would you know how to cope.
fence	Enclose or separate an area with a fence. We fenced in our yard.
fight	Be engaged in a fight carry on a fight. The country is still fighting a civil war.
get by	Go or come after and bring or take back.
grapple	Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available. The two men grappled with each other for several minutes.
grapple with	Come to terms with.
hold	Contain or hold have within. This theory still holds.
insist	Beg persistently and urgently. I must insist.
maintain	Maintain for use and service. The need to maintain close links between industry and schools.
make do	Add up to.
make out	Reach a destination, either real or abstract.
manage	Be the manager of a sports team or a performer. Catherine managed on five hours sleep a night.
pit oneself against	Remove the pits from.
plead	Make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts. She pleaded not guilty.
postulate	Take as a given assume as a postulate or axiom. His theory postulated a rotatory movement for hurricanes.
profess	Practice as a profession teach or claim to be knowledgeable about. He had professed his love for her only to walk away.
pronounce	Speak pronounce or utter in a certain way. She pronounces French words in a funny way.
repugn	To affect a person with repugnance or aversion Also without object to cause repugnance.
state	Put before. Judges must give both sides an equal opportunity to state their case.
struggle	Strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance. Before she could struggle he lifted her up.
take on	Take on a certain form attribute or aspect.
vie	Compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others. The athletes were vying for a place in the British team.

Usage Examples of "Contend" as a verb

• He contended that Communism had no future.
• Militant groups are contending for control of the country.
• He contends that the judge was wrong.
• She had to contend with his uncertain temper.
• Factions within the government were contending for the succession to the presidency.

Associations of "Contend" (30 Words)

argue	Exchange or express diverging or opposite views, typically in a heated or angry way. I tried to argue him out of it.
assertion	A declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary. The assertion of his legal rights.
athlete	A person who takes part in competitive track and field events (athletics). He had the broad shouldered build of a natural athlete.
battle	Battle or contend against in or as if in a battle. He died in battle.
bellicose	Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight. A mood of bellicose jingoism.
challenger	A person who engages in a contest. Heroic challengers of authority.
claim	Ask for legally or make a legal claim to as of debts for example. Each of them was to be rewarded with a farm and a number of mining claims in the land.
compete	Compete for something engage in a contest measure oneself against others. No one can compete with his physical prowess.
competition	The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. The competition for university places is greater than ever this year.
competitor	An organization or country engaged in commercial or economic competition with others. Two competitors were banned for taking drugs.
conflict	Be in conflict. Bewildered by her own inner conflict she could only stand there feeling vulnerable.
contender	A person or group competing with others to achieve something. A presidential contender.
contention	A contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement. The teams were in fierce contention for first place.
contentious	(of a person) given to provoking argument. The socio economic plan had been the subject of contentious debate.
contest	An occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants. They contested the outcome of the race.
discord	A harsh mixture of sounds. The music faded in discord.
enemy	A personal enemy. He viewed lawyers as the real enemy.
objector	A person who expresses opposition to or disagreement with something. Objectors to the housing plans.
opponent	Characterized by active hostility. Opponent or opposing armies.
oppose	Be against; express opposition to. We oppose the ban on abortion.
overtake	Catch up with and possibly overtake. He overtook in the face of oncoming traffic.
postulate	Take as a given assume as a postulate or axiom. Perhaps the postulate of Babylonian influence on Greek astronomy is incorrect.
protester	A person who dissents from some established policy. The decision was hailed by protesters against the closure as a triumph.
rival	Be the rival of be in competition with. She has no rivals as a female rock singer.
rivalry	Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field. There always has been intense rivalry between the clubs.
strive	Attempt by employing effort. We must strive to secure steady growth.
struggle	Make one’s way with difficulty. Before she could struggle he lifted her up.
unseat	Remove (a government or person in authority) from power. The Republicans are trying to unseat the liberal Democrat.
vie	Compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others. The athletes were vying for a place in the British team.
wrangling	Engagement in a long, complicated dispute or argument. Weeks of political wrangling.