1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another
our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of adversaries
Those developments may have created blind spots for Western adversaries.
—
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
In the post–Cold War period, some in the United States believed that Russia was prepared to deliberately escalate any conflict—including through the use of nuclear weapons—to force its adversaries to back down.
—Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Rollins made his return at the Elimination Chamber in February but found himself without either of his original adversaries available, with Breakker dealing with his hernia surgery and Reed sidelined by a torn bicep.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Critics note that these moves take the heat off American adversaries in the long term.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Anthrax bacteria can cleave vital proteins with toxins and wreak havoc on their cellular adversaries.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Or, the Iranian regime continues to stand at odds with global adversaries, and oil prices stay significantly elevated not for mere months, but for years.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Freed and Poveda opened by comparing the threats faced by survivors to insider risks in cybersecurity, arguing that AI systems must account for adversaries with intimate knowledge of a victim's life.
—Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The role of Israel's hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
In the post–Cold War period, some in the United States believed that Russia was prepared to deliberately escalate any conflict—including through the use of nuclear weapons—to force its adversaries to back down.
—Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Rollins made his return at the Elimination Chamber in February but found himself without either of his original adversaries available, with Breakker dealing with his hernia surgery and Reed sidelined by a torn bicep.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Critics note that these moves take the heat off American adversaries in the long term.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Anthrax bacteria can cleave vital proteins with toxins and wreak havoc on their cellular adversaries.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Or, the Iranian regime continues to stand at odds with global adversaries, and oil prices stay significantly elevated not for mere months, but for years.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Freed and Poveda opened by comparing the threats faced by survivors to insider risks in cybersecurity, arguing that AI systems must account for adversaries with intimate knowledge of a victim's life.
—Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The role of Israel's hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversaries
Noun
-
Doom has corridors, enemies, three-dimensional navigation and a lot of things that are trying to kill you.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Bolstered by a vastly superior air force and hard-to-overwhelm missile defenses, Israel is more than a match for its enemies, even Iran, and will remain so for a decade or more.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Whoever wins the primary will likely win the November general election, and McAdams faces a half-dozen Democratic opponents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The teams are potential first-round playoff foes, depending on how high the 10th-place Hornets can climb in the conference standings.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Dublin congressman told KRON that the White House hopes to discredit him in the race as a frequent critic and to boost the chances of his Republican rivals.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But, despite the lightning speed at which the Chinese AI industry is moving, it’s still seen to be playing catch-up with its American rivals.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adversaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversaries. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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