controversy

considerable, great, major

bitter, fierce, raging, violent

lively

The new school policy sparked a lively controversy among parents and teachers.

fresh, further, new, renewed

continued, continuing, long-standing, prolonged

public

political

religious, theological

academic, critical, scholarly

arouse, cause, create, excite, fuel, give rise to, provoke, spark (off), stir up

The new policy provoked considerable controversy among parents and teachers.

be dogged by, be marked by, be riven by, be surrounded by

The new policy has been marked by controversy since it was announced last month.

avoid

The company decided to avoid controversy by not commenting on the political debate.

run into

The company ran into controversy when it announced plans to close its local factories.

be no stranger to

The celebrity chef has been no stranger to controversy throughout her successful but turbulent career.

court

The politician knew that making extreme statements would court controversy before the election.

arise, break out

A major controversy arose after the company decided to close the local factory.

rage

A heated controversy raged for months after the famous actor's offensive comments surfaced.

exist

There exists considerable controversy about whether social media is good for teenagers.

centre on sth

The debate surrounding the new policy centred on whether employees deserved higher wages.

surround sth

The decision to close the local hospital has sparked considerable controversy.

amid ~

The company launched its new product amid growing controversy about environmental concerns.

~ about/concerning/over

The new policy created considerable controversy about whether students should wear uniforms.

~ among

There is ongoing controversy among parents about whether children should have smartphones.

~ between

There has been ongoing controversy between environmental groups and the government about forest protection policies.

~ surrounding

The controversy surrounding the decision to close the local hospital divided the entire community.

~ with

The new environmental policy created a controversy with local business owners who feared losing jobs.

a matter/source/subject of controversy, a storm of controversy

The new policy became a source of controversy among parents and teachers.