Maintain or assert:
— He contended that Communism had no future.

synonym: postulate.

Roget 708: oppose, counteract, run counter to; withstand etc. (resist) 719; control etc. (restrain) 751; hinder etc. 706; antagonize, oppugn, fly in the face of, go dead against, kick against, fall afoul of, run afoul of; set against, pit against; face, confront, cope with; make a stand, make a dead set against; set oneself against, set one's face against; protest against, vote against, raise one's voice against; disfavor, turn one's back upon; set at naught, slap in the face, slam the door in one's face.    be at cross purposes; play at cross purposes; counterwork^†, countermine; thwart, overthwart^†; work against, undermine.    stem, breast, encounter; stem the tide, breast the tide, stem the current, stem the flood; buffet the waves; beat up against, make head against; grapple with; kick against the pricks etc. (resist) 719; contend etc. 720; do battle with etc. (warfare) 722, do battle against.    contradict, contravene; belie; go against, run against, beat against, militate against; come in conflict with.    emulate etc. (compete) 720; rival, spoil one's trade.    ... show more

Roget 535: assert; make an assertion etc. n.; have one's say; say, affirm, predicate, declare, state; protest, profess.    put forth, put forward; advance, allege, propose, propound, enunciate, broach, set forth, hold out, maintain, contend, pronounce, pretend.    depose, depone, aver, avow, avouch, asseverate, swear; make oath, take one's oath; make an affidavit, swear an affidavit, put in an affidavit; take one's Bible oath, kiss the book, vow, vitam impendere vero [Lat.]; swear till one is black in the face, swear till one is blue in the face, swear till all's blue; be sworn, call Heaven to witness; vouch, warrant, certify, assure, swear by bell book and candle.    swear by etc. (believe) 484; insist upon, take one's stand upon; emphasize, lay stress on; assert roundly, assert positively; lay down, lay down the law; raise one's voice, dogmatize, have the last word; rap out; repeat; reassert, reaffirm.    announce etc. (information) 527; acknowledge etc. (assent) 488; attest etc. (evidence) 467; adjure etc. (put to one's oath) 768.    ... show more

Have an argument about something.

synonyms: argue, debate, fence.

Roget 476: reason, argue, discuss, debate, dispute, wrangle^†, argufy^†, bandy words, bandy arguments; chop logic; hold an argument, carry on an argument; controvert etc. (deny) 536; canvass; comment upon, moralize upon; spiritualize; consider etc. (examine) 461.    open a discussion, open a case; try conclusions; join issue, be at issue; moot; come to the point; stir a question, agitate a question, ventilate a question, torture a question; take up a side, take up a case.    contend, take one's stand upon, insist, lay stress on; infer etc. 480.    follow from etc. (demonstration) 478.    ... show more

Dutch: redetwisten, aanvallen, bestrijden, betwisten, ingaan

To make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation.

synonyms: contest, repugn.

Dutch: competitiewedstrijd, competitie, wedstrijd, kamp, slag, strijd, betwisten, bevechten

Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available.

synonyms: cope, deal, get by, grapple, make do, make out, manage.

Dutch: genoegen nemen, mee omgaan, rondkomen, toekomen, toekunnen, uitkomen

Compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others.

synonyms: compete, vie.

Dutch: mededingen, meedingen, concurreren, meten, opboksen, optornen, rivaliseren, touwtrekken, vechten, wedijveren

Be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight:
— Militant groups are contending for control of the country.

synonyms: fight, struggle.

Roget 722: arm; raise troops, mobilize troops; raise up in arms; take up the cudgels etc. 720; take up arms, fly to arms, appeal to arms, fly to the sword; draw the sword, unsheathe the sword; dig up the hatchet, dig up the tomahawk; go to war, wage war, let slip the dogs of war" [Julius Caesar]; cry havoc; kindle the torch of war, light the torch of war; raise one's banner, raise the fire cross; hoist the black flag; throw away, fling away the scabbard; enroll, enlist; take the field; take the law into one's own hands; do battle, give battle, join battle, engage in battle, go to battle; flesh one's sword; set to, fall to, engage, measure swords with, draw the trigger, cross swords; come to blows, come to close quarters; fight; combat; contend etc. 720; battle with, break a lance with.    [pirates engage in battle] raise the jolly roger, run up the jolly roger.    serve; see service, be on service, be on active service; campaign; wield the sword, shoulder a musket, smell powder, be under fire; spill blood, imbrue the hands in blood; on the warpath.    carry on war, carry on hostilities; keep the field; fight the good fight; fight it out, fight like devils, fight one's way, fight hand to hand; sell one's life dearly; pay the ferryman's fee.    ... show more

Roget 720: contend; contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle; spar, square; exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs; fib^†, justle^†, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence; skirmish; pickeer^†; fight etc. (war) 722; wrangle etc. (quarrel) 713.    contend with &c., grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush etc. n.. with, tilt with; encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw^†, run a tilt at; oppose etc. 708; reluct.    join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand; take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet; enter the lists; couch one's lance; give satisfaction; appeal to arms; etc. (warfare) 722.    lay about one; break the peace.    compete with, cope with, vie with, race with; outvie^†, emulate, rival; run a race; contend for &c., stipulate for, stickle for; insist upon, make a point of.    ... show more

Dutch: worstelen, kampen, knokken, matten, strijden, vechten