contend
con-tend
verb
To struggle or compete against others to achieve a goal.
"The teams will contend for the league title."
verb
To assert or argue a point, often in a formal discussion or debate.
"He will contend that the evidence is insufficient."
Thesaurus
Synonyms: postulate, grapple, make do, make out, manage, deal, cope, get by, vie, compete, contest, repugn