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Definitions

debate

[dih-bayt] / 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:

What’s missing is the Princeton philosophers’ side of the debate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

An online petition with over a million signatures has asked Globo to implement a live fact-checking system for claims made by both candidates during the debate.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

That has ignited a societal debate over how best to monitor and regulate the new technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The decision had been subject to intense debate around its environment and economic impact and came after years of legal challenges.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

For on assumption, unlike the earlier debate over funding, Madison had the votes.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

While the board is thinking five years ahead, it also debates what different scenarios might mean for the company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

He can’t, for example, watch his wife when she debates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

‘We believe the outcomes will support the excitement, and we see low probability of data that resolve the main debates.’

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

"I've come out of debates and wanted to throw myself under a bus," she says simply.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

But after Adams’s initial fling at participating in the debates, the members of the Senate decided that the vice president was not permitted to speak.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

In response to an essay by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Nicholas L. Syrett about why it is so difficult to reform fraternities, readers debated the merits and deficiencies of the institution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Others have debated whether the Treasury might consider scrapping 20-year auctions altogether, a move that seems unlikely.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

As they have debated in recent weeks, the candidates haven't held back on deploying pointed personal attacks against their opponents.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Educational inequality has been debated in France for 25 years, with disparities emerging as early as nursery school, Charbonnier said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

It left behind a flurry of books in which Brahe and his colleagues debated its location and significance.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

These greats built the mecca they needed and deserved, debating its contours, wanting it to last.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

European leaders are publicly warning about the risks and privately debating how best to respond.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

In other words, investors are getting sick of projecting payoffs from investments in technology with uncertain, far-off returns — and they’re also tired of debating what that means in the here and now.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

"Brazil spent years debating how to regulate sports betting," the club said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

I could tell Mrs. Baylor was debating whether or not to drive through the red light.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English


Vocabulary lists containing debate

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