Noun
Many considered him a foe of democracy.
Her ability was acknowledged by friend and foe alike.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The series follows a superhero who, no matter what, beats all his foes with a single punch.—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2024 Enemies on the ground aren't just eye candy but are active participants in the battle that shoot you down just as easily as any aerial foe.—PCMAG, 14 Aug. 2024 Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Team USA again will be going for Olympic gold, with a familiar foe awaiting in Saturday’s championship game.—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2024 Malaria is one of our most ancient foes — and one of the wiliest.—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foe
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English fo, from Old English fāh, from fāh, adjective, hostile; akin to Old High German gifēh hostile
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of foe was
before the 12th century
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