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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the new measures send a clear message to foreign adversaries seeking to sow violence. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 Scott said that relationship was forged as political adversaries but was strengthened by spending 100-plus hours golfing together. — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 Military planners believe this trend will become even more pronounced in future conflicts involving advanced adversaries. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026 Since then, the government has imprisoned adversaries, religious leaders, journalists and others, forcing thousands to flee the country. — ABC News, 10 July 2026 The Highlander, a 500 year old Scotsman who uses an ancient katana faces his most deadly adversaries, including The Kurgan, all set to a Queen soundtrack. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026 Allies, adversaries and markets alike are learning to adjust in real time. — Steve Sedgwick, CNBC, 9 July 2026 Democrats should learn a lesson from the negative example of their Republican adversaries. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 Similar proposals have emerged elsewhere, including a Florida law restricting surrogacy and adoption agreements involving residents of countries designated as foreign adversaries. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversaries
  1. enemies
  2. opponents
  3. foes
  4. rivals
Noun
  • Though the Colonel had many enemies, the violence of his death shocks the sleepy village and starts the tongues of the local gossips wagging.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • Judith claims to be a forensic accountant, but is actually a career assassin whose very name sends shivers of fear through her enemies and ones of excitement through her admirers.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • Three players cordon off opponents at the far edge of the six-yard box, which gives Trusty the time to take a touch and lash the ball home from close range.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • And, as in the past in both California and nationally, proponents and opponents of the switch cite the potential effects (good or bad) on health, business and agriculture as reasons to support or oppose the plan.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of opponents
Noun
  • The millions of mourners at the funeral of the Iranian leader Ayatollah ‌Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war, may have put pressure on the regime to show resolve against the nation’s long-standing foes.
    — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • But that only makes the competitive failures look worse, with MLS sides repeatedly losing spectacularly when pitted against Liga MX foes in the late stages of Concacaf competition.
    — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of foes
Noun
  • After six innings, the crowd of 38,872 watching two historic rivals sat through a 15-minute delay.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • The South American rivals may just end up facing each other in a week.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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