contend (v.)

• affirm
• agonize
• allege
• announce
• annunciate
• antagonize
• argue
• argufy
• assert
• asseverate
• aver
• avouch
• avow
• battle
• bicker
• box
• brawl
• broil
• buck
• buffet
• cavil
• charge
• claim
• clash
• close
• collide
• combat
• confront
• contest
• contrast
• counteract
• declare
• defend
• dictate
• dispute
• duel
• encounter
• enjoin
• enunciate
• express
• face
• fence
• feud
• fight
• front
• grapple
• hassle
• have
• hold
• insist
• jostle
• joust
• justify
• maintain
• match
• meet
• moot
• oppose
• oppugn
• persist
• pettifog
• plead
• polarize
• polemicize
• polemize
• predicate
• prescribe
• press
• proclaim
• profess
• pronounce
• protest
• put
• quarrel
• quibble
• report
• resist
• riot
• rival
• say
• scramble
• scuffle
• skirmish
• spar
• speak
• stand
• state
• strive
• struggle
• submit
• subtend
• tell
• tilt
• tourney
• tug
• tussle
• urge
• vie
• vindicate
• war
• warrant
• withstand
• wrangle
• wrestle