1
as in foes
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
in martial arts, before the match begins, always bow to your opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another
the senator has many political opponents who would love to ruin his career
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of opponents
At the core of the MAGA project and Trumpism is disruption and destruction, the delegitimization and razing of institutions, and the brutalization of opponents.
—
Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
The Knicks’ stretch of tanking opponents concludes with Tuesday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
The president should act now and dare his opponents to stop him.
—Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
The Hawks are 12-4 against MEAC opponents.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Booker is widely expected to cruise to reelection this year, but New Jersey has a primary in June, and Booker has multiple opponents (all of them longshots).
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
Despite a 31-1 record, Miami wasn’t assured of a bid due to its schedule ranking 339th nationally with no Quadrant 1 opponents.
—Jeff Wallner, Twin Cities, 17 Mar. 2026
Over his first two Summer League outings, Bassey racked up 36 points, 24 rebounds and five blocks, with the Summer C’s outscoring their opponents by 35 points with the 25-year-old on the court.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Kentner and other opponents disagree.
—Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
The Knicks’ stretch of tanking opponents concludes with Tuesday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
The president should act now and dare his opponents to stop him.
—Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
The Hawks are 12-4 against MEAC opponents.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Booker is widely expected to cruise to reelection this year, but New Jersey has a primary in June, and Booker has multiple opponents (all of them longshots).
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
Despite a 31-1 record, Miami wasn’t assured of a bid due to its schedule ranking 339th nationally with no Quadrant 1 opponents.
—Jeff Wallner, Twin Cities, 17 Mar. 2026
Over his first two Summer League outings, Bassey racked up 36 points, 24 rebounds and five blocks, with the Summer C’s outscoring their opponents by 35 points with the 25-year-old on the court.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Kentner and other opponents disagree.
—Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponents
Noun
-
The final moments of UConn’s 73-57 victory over UCLA on Sunday night were the culmination of a triumph in the NCAA Tournament, over a formidable opponent, and those two often insurmountable foes, injury and pain.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
-
But there are many more foes in their new land.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But with war raging on multiple fronts and no end in sight, Israel's enemies in Iran and Lebanon may help make that decision for him.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The inscription would have sent enemies quite an impression as it was burned into the stone with molten lead, as if daring the attackers to continue their useless advance, Live Science continues.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Far-right politicians have lost to mainstream rivals in the southern cities of Nîmes and the port of Toulon, a major naval base on the Mediterranean, which were two key targets for the National Rally.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
This shipyard has become a symbol of American industrial decline, a money loser falling decades behind our global rivals.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Anthrax bacteria can cleave vital proteins with toxins and wreak havoc on their cellular adversaries.—
Hannah Kinzer,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
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Or, the Iranian regime continues to stand at odds with global adversaries, and oil prices stay significantly elevated not for mere months, but for years.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the face of that shortage, SK Hynix and competitors such as Micron and Samsung have rushed to expand capacity.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, competitors in AI video generation continue operating.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponents. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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