| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | oppose, argue |
| Synonyms: | break, challenge, confound, confute, contest, contradict, counter, debate, deny, disconfirm, discuss, disprove, dispute, oppugn, question, rebut, refute, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, forbear, harmonize, make peace, restrain |
| Main Entry: | belie |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disprove |
| Synonyms: | confute, contradict, contravene, controvert, deny, disaffirm, disagree, explode, gainsay, negate, negative, oppose, repudiate |
| Antonyms: | attest, prove |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken, cause instability |
| Synonyms: | bankrupt, bust, confound, confute, controvert, cow, cripple, declass, degrade, demerit, demoralize, demote, disconfirm, dispirit, disprove, downgrade, enervate, enfeeble, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, subdue, tame, undermine |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | stabilize, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | confute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disprove, refute |
| Synonyms: | blow sky high, break, bring to naught, confound, contradict, controvert, defeat, demolish, dismay, disprove, expose, invalidate, knocks props out from under, negate, oppugn, overcome, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, parry, prove false, prove wrong, put down, rebut, set aside, shut up, silence, subvert, tap, upset, vanquish |
| Notes: | refute means 'to show conclusively to be false or illogical' and applies primarily to assertions or arguments; confute means 'to prove wrong' and applies primarily to the person or agency making the assertion or argument |
| Antonyms: | affirm, attest, confirm, endorse, prove, verify |
| Main Entry: | contend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | compete, fight |
| Synonyms: | argue, battle, clash, confront, contest, controvert, cope, dispute, emulate, encounter, face, give all one's got, give one's all, go after, go for, go for broke, go for it, go for jugular, grapple, have at, jockey for position, jostle, knock oneself out, litigate, lock horns, make play for, meet, mix it up with, oppose, oppugn, push, push for, resist, rival, scramble for, shoot at, shoot for, skirmish, stand, strive, struggle, tangle with, tug, vie, withstand |
| Antonyms: | abandon, desert, give up, leave, retreat |
| Main Entry: | contradict |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be at variance with |
| Synonyms: | belie, buck, call in question, challenge, confront, contravene, controvert, counter, counteract, cross, dare, deny, differ, disaffirm, disclaim, disprove, dispute, fly in the face of, gainsay, have bone to pick, impugn, negate, negative, oppose, refuse to accept, repudiate, take on, thumbs down, traverse |
| Antonyms: | OK, accept, agree, approve, concede, confirm, corroborate, reconcile, sign, verify, vouch |
| Main Entry: | debate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue, discuss |
| Synonyms: | agitate, altercate, answer, bandy, bicker, bump heads, canvass, chew the fat, cogitate, confab, confute, consider, contend, contest, controvert, cross swords, deliberate, demonstrate, differ, discept, disprove, dispute, hammer away at, hash over, hassle, have at it, kick around, knock around, lock horns, moot, oppose, pettifog, pick a bone, prove, put up argument, question, reason, rebut, refute, rehash, set to, talk back, talk game, thrash out, toss around, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, go along |
| Main Entry: | deny |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disagree, renounce, decline |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, ban, begrudge, call on, contradict, contravene, controvert, curb, disacknowledge, disallow, disavow, disbelieve, discard, disclaim, discredit, disown, disprove, doubt, enjoin from, eschew, exclude, forbid, forgo, forsake, gainsay, hold back, keep back, negate, negative, not buy, nullify, oppose, rebuff, rebut, recant, refuse, refute, reject, repudiate, restrain, revoke, sacrifice, say no to, spurn, taboo, take exception to, turn down, turn thumbs down, veto, withhold |
| Notes: | deny means to declare untrue or refuse to accept or believe or to refuse to recognize or acknowledge; refute means to prove to be false, wrong, or incorrect |
| Antonyms: | accede, acknowledge, admit, affirm, agree, allow, concede, confess, corroborate, go along, grant |
| Main Entry: | disagree |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue; hold differing opinion |
| Synonyms: | altercate, battle, bicker, brawl, break with, bring action, clash, contend, contest, controversialize, controvert, debate, differ, disaccord, discept, discord, dispute, dissent, divide, fall out, feud, fight, go for the jugular, haggle, have words, jump on, lay into, let have it, logomachize, object, oppose, palter, quarrel, quibble, rip, row, scrap, set to, skirmish, spar, spat, sue, take issue, take on, war, wrangle, zap |
| Antonyms: | accept, acquiesce, agree, concur, consent |