as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
there was a long history of adversary dealings between the two nations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opponent
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
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Recent Examples of adversary
Dan Morse, Alex Horton, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2022
At the same time, Trump's tirades against trade deals with nations like China played into a belief among many people that such pacts had hollowed out the American dream, while building middle classes lives for citizens of adversary nations.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 28 Sep. 2017
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
How to Watch Colorado State vs Wyoming Colorado State has lost seven of its past nine encounters with Wyoming, but can celebrate back-to-back wins over its Mountain West adversary this Saturday.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adversary
Adjective
Such sensitive information, along with financial information and private messages, is helpful for adversary intelligence agencies to use as leverage for blackmail or coercion.
—Dan Morse, Alex Horton, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2022
At the same time, Trump's tirades against trade deals with nations like China played into a belief among many people that such pacts had hollowed out the American dream, while building middle classes lives for citizens of adversary nations.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 28 Sep. 2017
Noun
These emails contain links designed to capture login credentials and multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes in real time using adversary-in-the-middle techniques.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
How to Watch Colorado State vs Wyoming Colorado State has lost seven of its past nine encounters with Wyoming, but can celebrate back-to-back wins over its Mountain West adversary this Saturday.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adversary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversary
Adjective
-
Heading into a hostile environment at the Rogers Centre, the Dodgers must defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in Games 6 and 7 to clinch their second-straight World Series title.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Plot details are very hazy, but the word on the street is that the story centers on a ne’er-do-well smuggler who finds himself in the middle of a deadly double-cross while on a job in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in him surrounded by bodies, hostile mercenaries and thirsty sharks alike.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This means people had to be close enough to see and mark the target, often within range of enemy fire.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
-
After meeting as children in 1950s Naples, their story goes on to cover over 60 years, exploring the mystery of Lila – Elena’s brilliant best friend and, in a way, her worst enemy.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The team was elated after scoring a 2-1 lead on their opponents.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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The birthday wish, seen by almost 3 million people, sent shockwaves across Venezuelan social media, as Maduro’s opponents speculated the pilot had been ordered to return to face interrogation.—
Joshua Goodman,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The negative response to Beijing’s tactics also prompted the G7 to vow a united front against the export controls, Yardeni pointed out.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
If the bat is negative, individuals will not need post-exposure treatment.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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So Florida divided up the region between coaches, struggling to maintain consistency against a growing number of more aggressive foes.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The fans reveled in the rally, the thrashing of Goliath, the awareness that this World Series pitted two foes who belonged on the same field.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Once a manufacturing subcontractor of South Korean companies, China has now become their global rival in key industries like EV and electronics.—
Se Eun Gong,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Florida had a shot at a program-defining win against the rival that tormented it the most.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adversary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversary. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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