Word: contended
To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate. Example: In this paper the author contends that no useful results can be obtained if this method is used.
You can find a list of possible crossword clues for CONTENDED below.