1
as in vigilante
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
Batman is the Joker's main nemesis and always foils his wicked plots
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
social ostracism was once society's nemesis for those who defied its sexual mores
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
irrationality is the nemesis of democracy, for good government depends upon the wisdom of the electorate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nemesis
Senior guard Dylan Hurley dropped 15 points to pace all scorers, while junior forward Maliah Pierre netted 13 points to go with seven rebounds as Whitman-Hanson pulled away in the second half to topple Patriot League nemesis Duxbury, 48-36.
—
Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Hobbled Indiana came into the game ranked last in offense in the NBA, but put up 124 points in regulation before outlasting their arch nemesis in extra time.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Caleb Landry Jones stars as the titular bloodsucker, while Christoph Waltz plays his nemesis in Van Helsing.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
And while Warriors nemesis LeBron James is expected to play for the Lakers, his teammate Luka Doncic will likely be out after injuring his hamstring on Thursday against the 76ers.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Hobbled Indiana came into the game ranked last in offense in the NBA, but put up 124 points in regulation before outlasting their arch nemesis in extra time.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Caleb Landry Jones stars as the titular bloodsucker, while Christoph Waltz plays his nemesis in Van Helsing.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
And while Warriors nemesis LeBron James is expected to play for the Lakers, his teammate Luka Doncic will likely be out after injuring his hamstring on Thursday against the 76ers.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
Noun
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Square-jawed detectives were tripping over corpses at midtown construction sites, blind vigilantes were redecorating Hell’s Kitchen with body parts and even poor Lester the doorman ended up dead in an Upper West Side courtyard fountain.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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And Takaichi’s stimulus-heavy prescription for the economy has shaken bond vigilantes, while analysts have also warned about the possibility of a worsening debt crisis.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Santa Clara, California — Mike Vrabel made his nnname in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
He was sentenced to an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction intact but sparing him any punishment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The tabloids go occult, explaining death after death through the logic of the Kennedy curse.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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We were drawn to the emotional weight of estranged siblings and the idea of a curse that’s passed down, not just through folklore, but through family trauma.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And it was signed, black dahlia avenger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
By the end of that first half hour, he has been unmasked as the bloody avenger of the backyard.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So up and over went Adebayo, and straight down upon Ware came Adebayo’s dunking wrath.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
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Instead, his minions, so afraid of earning his wrath, have remained quiet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Then, as if there was any doubt where this was headed, the Heat made sure there would not be another third-period collapse, which largely has been the bane of this uneven season.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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Plastic, that bane of California policymakers and activists, is hardly recycled.—
Kerry Jackson,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Last Thursday, the league issued a $500,000 fine to the Utah Jazz and a $100,000 penalty to the Indiana Pacers for sitting healthy players, believing their apparent tanking actions compromised the league's competitive integrity.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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But with the puck sitting just outside the crease on the Eichel chance, the Germans were forced to take a penalty.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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