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
As the Democratic Party veers to the extreme left, Wu has all the ingredients for what their voters are looking for in 2028 – a young woman of color who has stood up to President Donald Trump’s administration and not only survived but flourished as Trump’s public enemy number one.
—
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
One day we’re told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin-Laden is public enemy number one, and U.S. jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Hailed as a folk hero by cannabis users and branded public enemy number one by law enforcement, Barry’s outrageous reinvention is filled with wild stories, big personalities, and Texas-size spectacle.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
However, a 4-11 record has turned him into public enemy number one.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
But the one problem area—truly, public enemy number one—was our primary bathroom.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
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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Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
One day we’re told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin-Laden is public enemy number one, and U.S. jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Hailed as a folk hero by cannabis users and branded public enemy number one by law enforcement, Barry’s outrageous reinvention is filled with wild stories, big personalities, and Texas-size spectacle.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
However, a 4-11 record has turned him into public enemy number one.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
But the one problem area—truly, public enemy number one—was our primary bathroom.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
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 16 Nov. 2025.
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