contend

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Related to contended: thesaurus, exuberates

contend against (someone or something)

To compete against someone or something. Andy hasn't trained enough to contend against other swimmers his age. If you push him to enter this race, he'll just end up disappointed.
See also: contend

contend with (someone or something)

1. To compete against someone. Andy hasn't trained enough to contend with other swimmers his age. If you push him to enter this race, he'll just end up disappointed.
2. To struggle against or work to solve a problem or issue. I'm not ready to contend with that problem just yet—I need coffee first. How can we contend with these huge financial losses and still stay in business?
See also: contend

contend against someone or something

to fight or compete against someone or something. Do we have to contend against all this criticism? Ed refuses to have to contend against Eric.
See also: contend

contend with a problem

to put up with a difficulty; to struggle with the problems caused by someone or something. I cannot contend with your temper anymore. I wish we did not have to contend with this changeable weather.
See also: contend, problem

contend with someone (for something)

 and contend (with someone) for something
to fight someone for something; to compete with someone to win something. I don't want to have to contend with Sally for the award. I don't want to have to contend for the job with Ed.
See also: contend
References in periodicals archive ?
Hugo Herz, a court aide in Brunn, Moravia, and author of a much cited study of vagabondage, contended that "From a subjective viewpoint, prostitution represents one of the most dangerous forms of work aversion, which bears all characteristic aspects of the offence: satisfaction of one's needs, despite having the ability to work, through the exploitation of impure economic liaisons.
43) He contended that "such perceptions matter especially in cities, where one sees already sixteen year-old boys with thirteen year-old girls after work walking like man and wife, arm in arm towards the empty valleys on the periphery of the city when sometimes scenes take place reminiscent of Zola's Germinal.
Youth delinquency & "crime": the perception and the reality
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