adversaries

noun

plural of adversary
1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary

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2
as in opponents
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict our adversaries in tomorrow's meet are from one of the top schools in the league

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adversaries Plainly, companies in China and other adversaries such as Iran, North Korea, and Russia should be fair game. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 Today, drone technology is creating a similar dynamic, helping weaker adversaries narrow the strategic advantages that major powers — including the United States — have long enjoyed. — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 The Anatomy Of Multichannel Deception Why are adversaries finding such fertile ground across mobile messaging and voice channels? — Firas Azmeh, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, one of Bolsonarism’s main adversaries, has become a central figure in the scandal. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 Clayton previously told the Wall Street Journal that his focus is on America leading in the AI field against adversaries. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026 External signals can become unreliable when adversaries disrupt navigation or communications. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversaries
  1. enemies
  2. opponents
  3. foes
  4. rivals
Noun
  • But unlike other Floridians of Cuban descent — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio — Valdes ended up defending Cuba’s socialist revolutionaries and officials who have killed, jailed, tortured, and censored numerous political enemies.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Other paths, however, decrease the number of enemies (decrement), and still other areas can open a passage when there are no more enemies (jump-if-zero).
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • Guys will make a mistake that will lead to busted assignments, penalties, big plays for the opponents, if not a touchdown.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Knights have lost two games after opponents came up with one-handed, game-winning catches in the closing seconds, making Friday’s blowout setback a bit of an aberration.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of opponents
Noun
  • Familiar foes The Dodgers and Brewers are meeting in the postseason for the fourth time — all since 2018.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Stocks are under pressure from the familiar foes of higher oil prices and bond yields.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of foes
Noun
  • At the same time, overall guitar sales have been in slight but years-long decline so growth has to come at rivals’ expense.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • As with other aspects of the company, Lauder is continually forging new ways of working to increase speed-to-market and give it a competitive edge over rivals.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivals

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Cite this Entry

“Adversaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversaries. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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