public enemy number one
noun
: the nation's most wanted criminal : the most dangerous threat to society
In many countries today, drug abuse is public enemy number one.
Examples of public enemy number one in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the one problem area—truly, public enemy number one—was our primary bathroom.
—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Surely Trump's scheme to take over Gaza would make the United States public enemy number one in the Middle East, destabilizing U.S. relationships with countries like Egypt and Jordan, perhaps irreparably.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
After streaking through town and stealing a jumpsuit from that same second-hand store, the snowman then becomes public enemy number one to a pair of local cops, who are hot on the now-human snowman’s impressively tight tail.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
She’s proclaimed Nike as public enemy number one where women in sports are concerned and gone viral.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Now over a year later, Will Smith seems to have been largely forgiven, while Jada Pinkett Smith finds herself as the internet’s public enemy number one.
—Kushie Amin, refinery29.com, 30 Oct. 2023
In the case of the notorious plague in Europe, the event that forever marked rats as public enemy number one, the animals may be almost entirely innocent.
—WIRED, 7 Oct. 2023
The first half of The Six Billion Dollar Man gives us some of the backstory leading up to that point, showing how Assange rose from unknown Australian hacker to worldwide hero of free journalism to public enemy number one, especially for the American government.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Surely Trump's scheme to take over Gaza would make the United States public enemy number one in the Middle East, destabilizing U.S. relationships with countries like Egypt and Jordan, perhaps irreparably.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
After streaking through town and stealing a jumpsuit from that same second-hand store, the snowman then becomes public enemy number one to a pair of local cops, who are hot on the now-human snowman’s impressively tight tail.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
She’s proclaimed Nike as public enemy number one where women in sports are concerned and gone viral.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Now over a year later, Will Smith seems to have been largely forgiven, while Jada Pinkett Smith finds herself as the internet’s public enemy number one.
—Kushie Amin, refinery29.com, 30 Oct. 2023
In the case of the notorious plague in Europe, the event that forever marked rats as public enemy number one, the animals may be almost entirely innocent.
—WIRED, 7 Oct. 2023
The first half of The Six Billion Dollar Man gives us some of the backstory leading up to that point, showing how Assange rose from unknown Australian hacker to worldwide hero of free journalism to public enemy number one, especially for the American government.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Public enemy number one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20enemy%20number%20one. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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