How to Use opponent in a Sentence

opponent

1 of 2 noun

• He knocked out his opponent in the third round.
• The team's opponents have not lost a game this season.
• She is a formidable opponent in the race for senator.
• This opponent will do the same.
  — Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
• Not getting to up or down based on the opponent.
  — Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2025
• His opponent pressured him, tired him out and knocked him out.
  — Brett Appley, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
• While opponents sacked him twice, Gabriel has yet to get picked off.
  — Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
• Seven wins would mark his most against any opponent.
  — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
• In games like this, Wells wants to stomp on his opponent’s throat.
  — Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
• The only thing the same is the opponent.
  — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
• Number one is to look at the game and try to see the game through your opponent's eyes.
  — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
• The grand mufti had never lacked for opponents.
  — Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
• Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
  — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
• Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
  — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
• The last few weeks, for instance, their opponents talked trash in the lead-up to the games.
  — Dianna Russini, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
• The Jays face just one losing opponent for the rest of the year.
  — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
• No opponent at this tournament has found a way to stress him.
  — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
• The opponent that night was Notre Dame.
  — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
• Last year, opponents would crowd Edwards around the arc at the ends of games.
  — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
• Read about Davis and her opponents in the five-person trustee race here.
  — Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Oct. 2025
• The Phillies would have their pitching aligned while their opponent would not.
  — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
• Sweden will have to wait to find out its opponent in the round of 32 next week.
  — CBS News, 25 June 2026
• Jones is used to losing to his nemesis opponent.
  — Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
• For one night, the hometown kid returned as the opponent.
  — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
• Iran, in many ways, would be the most intriguing opponent.
  — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
• Argentina won all three, while their opponents drew all three.
  — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026
• His opponents have strong cases, too.
  — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
• For any good criminal, the cop is the opponent.
  — Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2026
• Trump, who endorsed his opponent, may come to regret that.
  — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 May 2026
• Let’s rank the potential first-round opponents, from worst to best.
  — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026

opponent

2 of 2 adjective

• Forty percent of opponent field goal attempts are 3s, well above the national average.
  — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2023
• During that stretch, the Spurs rank second in effective field-goal percentage allowed and first in opponent free-throw rate.
  — Zach Harper, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
• The Vikings’ defense ranked among the league’s top three in total yards, passing yards, sacks and opponent red zone efficiency last season.
  — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
• There was also opponent-relative verbiage sprinkled throughout as the schedule was being announced.
  — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026
• But ex-Invicta champ Felicia Spencer accomplished her goal of making her opponent look human.
  — Steven Marrocco, MMA Junkie, 28 July 2019
• In four of Iowa’s five losses, opponent field-goal and 3-point accuracy rates have been so high as to peg the Hawkeyes as being somewhat unlucky in bumping up against a couple too many incredible shooting nights.
  — Marcus Mosher, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, 17 Jan. 2020
• Although Charlotte entered Saturday’s game as the league’s seventh-worst team in opponent field-goal percentage, Miami’s shooting issues continued into the second quarter.
  — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2023
• Yet this year’s defense is statistically worse in most categories, including average yards allowed, sack rate, defensive EPA, opponent third-down conversion rate, red-zone efficiency and time of possession.
  — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025