the opposition
noun
: a person or group that someone is trying to defeat or succeed against : a person or group that someone is competing with
The coach advised her team not to underestimate the opposition.
Examples of the opposition in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After sweeping España and taking an emotional victory over defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami in front of 75,000 fans at the Coliseum, LAFC visits Houston for a league match on Saturday having outscored the opposition 10-1.
—
Josh Gross, Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The keynote rebuttal typically goes to a rising star in the opposition party, and Spanberger secured one of the Democrats’ biggest wins last year, flipping Virginia’s governorship by a 15-point margin.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
In the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal, Spurs had an identifiable defensive shape, with all three of the opposition’s attacking bodies in the box accounted for.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
But the Corps did take into account public opinion, and the opposition made a difference.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the opposition
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Josh Gross, Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The keynote rebuttal typically goes to a rising star in the opposition party, and Spanberger secured one of the Democrats’ biggest wins last year, flipping Virginia’s governorship by a 15-point margin.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
In the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal, Spurs had an identifiable defensive shape, with all three of the opposition’s attacking bodies in the box accounted for.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
But the Corps did take into account public opinion, and the opposition made a difference.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the opposition
Cite this Entry
“The opposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20opposition. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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