con‧tend /kənˈtend/ ●○○ verb
1 [intransitive] to compete against someone in order to gain something
contend for
Three armed groups are contending for power.
Inevitably, fights break out between the members of contending groups.
2 [transitive] to argue or state that something is true SYN insist
contend (that)
Some astronomers contend that the universe may be younger than previously thought.