From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbone of contentionbone of contentionDISAGREEsomething that causes arguments between people The examination system has long been a serious bone of contention in this country. → bone
Examples from the Corpus
bone of contention• Personal appearances always seemed to be a bone of contention.• Schools are, by far, the largest part of the state budget and often a bone of contention.• Mr Zhao's fate, and by association his legacy, have become a big bone of contention in the leadership.• But the pool table proved to be a bigger bone of contention.• The initial bone of contention was the question of the terms on which sympathizers should be admitted to the Party.• Churchill had been the latest bone of contention, as he had begun to make public speeches which Chamberlain clearly found embarrassing.• I did know that this was in fact the main bone of contention upstairs.• The way we manage money has been the only real bone of contention between us.• It is the positions of the international boundaries and access to natural resources that are the real bones of contention.• The new tax on property is likely to become a serious bone of contention. 