1
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
please name the novel's hero and his antagonist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
his antagonist in the boxing match
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of antagonist
The Surfer also stars Julian McMahon as The Surfer’s main antagonist, Scally.
—
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
In Skin Tight, a great barracuda bites off an antagonist’s hand.
—Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
As new antagonists arrive, the stakes and the tension don’t always ratchet accordingly, resulting in the occasional sense of the anti-climactic.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
But the rich emotional depth of that film is matched in Bring Her Back, a horror movie that delights in gruesome practical effects but also presents a nuanced character study, with little judgement passed on its bereaved antagonist, Laura.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonist
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
In Skin Tight, a great barracuda bites off an antagonist’s hand.
—Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
As new antagonists arrive, the stakes and the tension don’t always ratchet accordingly, resulting in the occasional sense of the anti-climactic.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
But the rich emotional depth of that film is matched in Bring Her Back, a horror movie that delights in gruesome practical effects but also presents a nuanced character study, with little judgement passed on its bereaved antagonist, Laura.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonist
Noun
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The absence of cloud cover that day exposed the Liberators even more to enemy fire.—
Linda Dudik,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
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Nearly 700,000 people were executed in Stalin’s 1937-38 Great Terror amid show trials and purges of his real and perceived enemies.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
23 May 2025
Noun
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His main opponent, former radio host Bill Spadea, has painted himself as a Trump loyalist.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
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Right as the sparring gets good, with Drew accusing her opponent of deflecting because of a toxic divorce, Porsha walks away from yet another conversation.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Marvel films are littered with figures we’re supposed to identify with who triumph over their foes by showily revealing their true selves.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
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The Twins beat the Royals 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at Target Field, using a Lee single to capture their second win in as many days over their division foes.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
24 May 2025
Noun
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The Braves will play Trinity League rival Santa Margarita in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division 1 championship game at Cal State Fullerton.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Alex closed the season by proposing a merger between her struggling network, UBA, and its rival, NBN, after discovering that tech powerhouse and potential UBA buyer Paul was spying on her co-workers.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
28 May 2025
Noun
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History clearly shows that building strategic nuclear forces creates painful defense dilemmas for adversaries and is the surest formula both for protecting the United States and its allies and for ultimately getting adversaries to the negotiating table.—
Eric S. Edelman,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
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Cournoyer warned that adversaries could respond by escalating their own arsenals, pushing the U.S. and its rivals into a destabilizing arms race.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonist. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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