contend vs sanction

contend

verb
  • To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate. 

  • To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight. 

  • To be in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue. 

  • To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend. 

  • contend with: To try to cope with a difficulty or problem. 

sanction

verb
  • To ratify; to make valid. 

  • To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions. 

  • To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance. 

noun
  • An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid. 

  • A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body. 

  • A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above. 

How often have the words contend and sanction occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )