The phrase "contend without" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It means to struggle or compete without something. Example: Despite the team's star player being injured, they were able to contend without him and still win the game.
The Marlins can contend without Pujols.
The Chicago Bulls cannot seriously contend without Derrick Rose, nor can the Boston Celtics revive themselves without Rajon Rondo.
Club officials believe it will be hard to contend without another bat, and the team could probably get by with Dicky Gonzalez or Bobby Jones plugging Rusch's spot in the rotation.
Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate will have to contend without his top scorer Kane, who has netted eight times in 10 appearances, for the matches against Czech Republic and Germany.
You also cannot contend without keeping up in scoring.
The Terps not only contended without her but nearly won a second consecutive national title.
It began dogging Sergio García several years ago, continuing at every major in which he contended without winning.
Mr. Lacy contends, without offering specifics, that the dismissal was justified.
None the less, the American envoy in New York, John Negroponte, contended, without having much evidence to back it up, that a vote on a resolution "would have been close".
Mr. Obama had been slowly but steadily rebounding in the polls from his lows in early October — in contrast to a common argument that contended, without much hard evidence, that Mr. Romney still had momentum in the race.
The challengers' brief contends, without a shred of evidence, that Congress would never have intended to turn over a question of such "enormous political and economic importance" to the IRS.
