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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Trump risks not just a setback to his redistricting power play ahead of the midterms, but delivering a victory to Newsom, his nemesis and a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
—
Zac Anderson, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Meester plays Abby, Joanne’s nemesis from middle school.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
Tensions between Mogadishu and the latter even flared into a violent clash near the Kenyan border in December, following a dispute over the re-election of Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, the statelet’s leader and a current nemesis of Mohamud.
—Omar S Mahmood, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Quavo plays Straw, Malik’s arch-nemesis.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Zac Anderson, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Meester plays Abby, Joanne’s nemesis from middle school.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
Tensions between Mogadishu and the latter even flared into a violent clash near the Kenyan border in December, following a dispute over the re-election of Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, the statelet’s leader and a current nemesis of Mohamud.
—Omar S Mahmood, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Quavo plays Straw, Malik’s arch-nemesis.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
Noun
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After 15 years in Isfahan, Iran, one of his sisters and her children are being forced back to Afghanistan due to mass deportations and vigilante violence against Afghans in that country — including legal residents.—
Vidushi Mishti Sharma,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
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His past includes stints as a radio host and beret-wearing Guardian Angels anti-crime vigilante group founder.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hence, taking them away is an appropriate punishment.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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But if the thought of freezing cold isolation and bunk pods sounds more like punishment than adventure, Mongolia’s Gobi already offers glimpses of the otherworldly in a far more comfortable setting.—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her goal helped the club secure its first berth in the NWSL playoffs, snapping a ninth-place curse that had haunted the team since its debut in 2021.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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So begins a rollicking tale of superstition, a family curse and second chances.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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Kirk had been building his reputation as an imperious, right-wing avenger on college campuses, debating anyone willing to step up to the microphone to challenge him.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Disney is incredibly unlikely to ever admit that politics were a factor in Doctor Who‘s cancellation, but Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension was revealing of the company’s desire to minimize MAGA wrath.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
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Tarkenton and his Minnesota Vikings, of course, felt the Raiders’ wrath one January afternoon in Pasadena when Oakland trounced them in Super Bowl XI.—
Jon Becker,
Mercury News,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But along with ready cash, the laissez-faire approach brought the banes of corruption, criminal infiltration, and rampant pollution.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
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Those four words that my husband asks almost every day are the bane of my existence.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
13 Oct. 2025
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
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Campaign ads, showing images of flash-mob robberies, promised voters that harsher penalties would put an end to basic items being locked away in display cases and funnel people repeatedly arrested for drug offenses in treatment.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
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If convicted, a person could face between 10 and 25 years in prison, depending on who the person is to the child and whether the child has a disability, among other factors that could increase penalties.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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