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debate

[dih-beyt] / dɪˈbeɪt /




Usage

What are other ways to say debate? To debate is to interchange formal (usually opposing) arguments, especially on public questions: to debate a proposed amendment. To argue is to present one's reasons: The scientists argued for a safer testing procedure; it may also imply disputing in an angry or excited way: His parents argue all the time. To discuss is to present varied opinions and views: to discuss ways and means. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

However, debate in this island nation of almost 400,000 people centred more on its fishing industry rather than security concerns.

From BBC Aug. 30, 2026

After more than 18 months of investigation and debate, ICC member countries voted last month to oust Khan.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Fellow co-author Dr. Brodie Popovic said the debate also provided researchers with an opportunity to examine the astrophysics of supernova explosions more closely and reconsider the assumptions built into cosmological measurements.

From Science Daily Aug. 29, 2026

He added that "there is no single right position" and it was an "incredibly important and personal debate".

From BBC Aug. 28, 2026

“We can debate this another day,” said Birdie.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

The RBK news outlet reported this week that debates about whether he should perform were taking place within the presidential administration.

From Barron's Aug. 28, 2026

At the same time, he’s exasperated by the endless debates on how to award them.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

The death of country music icon Dolly Parton, who kept her distance from the political debates gripping America, offered a rare moment of unity to a divided nation on Tuesday.

From Barron's Aug. 25, 2026

What started for Mei as a "going out stack" before nights out soon spread to exams, speeches and debates.

From BBC Aug. 18, 2026

The weekly debates between inmate teams were also held in the school building.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

“Investor sentiment across the sector is becoming more debated, with short and long crowding metrics rising across most of the sector month-over-month,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 26, 2026

But the meaning and power of this particular clause has long been debated and seldom invoked.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 25, 2026

Legal scholars have debated whether surrogates should pay legal damages if they fail to honor a contractual abortion provision, surrender payments remaining on the contract, or even pay back money they already received.

From Slate Aug. 20, 2026

For more than six decades, evolutionary biologists have debated whether an unusual genetic system shared by ants, bees and wasps helped drive one of nature's most sophisticated forms of social organization: eusociality.

From Science Daily Aug. 15, 2026

We would giggle and chatter away as we debated whether to wear pink, purple, polka dots, or prints.

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince

"The speech arrives against a difficult policy backdrop. Inflation remains above target for a sixth consecutive year, while Fed officials have begun debating whether tighter policy may still be required."

From Barron's Aug. 28, 2026

At university, she was involved in the debating society and now realises that has prepared her for thinking on her feet.

From BBC Aug. 26, 2026

Therefore, it is “the default connectivity partner” for customers debating between copper and fiber components, in his view.

From MarketWatch Aug. 21, 2026

I’m all for rallying around a book or author and debating their merits like it’s a sporting match.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 18, 2026

She hugged herself tightly, moving her body back and forth, as if she was debating something.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman




Vocabulary lists containing debate


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