1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another
please name the novel's hero and his antagonist
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
his antagonist in the boxing match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of antagonists
From Jason Voorhees terrorizing all visitors of Camp Crystal Lake to Michael Myers persistently haunting the inhabitants of Haddonfield, Illinois, horror movies have relied on the silence and mystique of their main antagonists for decades.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The two sides are long-term antagonists.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The new season introduces formidable antagonists played by Jaideep Ahlawat as Rukma and Nimrat Kaur as Meera, who push the protagonist to his limits.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Seven or eight of his primary antagonists, including me, were all standing around when the idea came up, again.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
Jarrard also mentions the Flood, a parasitic alien species introduced in Combat Evolved that have become recurring antagonists of the franchise.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
The horror conceit occasionally lapses into B-movie costume drama with antagonists that feel more pastiche than myth.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
The best antagonists ultimately have an incredibly relatable backstory.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
But Hoffman and Sacks have been public antagonists recently, due mostly to their political differences.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The two sides are long-term antagonists.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The new season introduces formidable antagonists played by Jaideep Ahlawat as Rukma and Nimrat Kaur as Meera, who push the protagonist to his limits.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Seven or eight of his primary antagonists, including me, were all standing around when the idea came up, again.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
Jarrard also mentions the Flood, a parasitic alien species introduced in Combat Evolved that have become recurring antagonists of the franchise.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
The horror conceit occasionally lapses into B-movie costume drama with antagonists that feel more pastiche than myth.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
The best antagonists ultimately have an incredibly relatable backstory.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
But Hoffman and Sacks have been public antagonists recently, due mostly to their political differences.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonists
Noun
-
That stark reality forced both sides to wage slash-and-burn propaganda campaigns designed to sow doubt and disinformation among their enemies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But he’s considered a centrist Democrat and has attracted political enemies from both the Right and Progressives, the former due to his pro-LBGT policies and the latter due to his support of centrist leaders such as District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
After a shocking few weeks of first round and quarterfinal competition, semifinal opponents are set and the College Football Playoff national championship is just around the corner.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
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Both Isaacs boys pinned their opponents, as did DeLand’s Gerald ‘Taz’ Logan III, another dual-sport athlete.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Cuba joined Iran, Russia and other foes of Washington in condemning the raid at the United Nations.—
Robert Muggah,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The Cardinals opened this season with wins over New Orleans and Carolina before dropping close games to division foes San Francisco and Seattle.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At certain points, Pelosi and Hoyer were seen as rivals vying for the speakership — a role that only Pelosi ended up securing.—
Nikole Killion,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The short, but so far rather sweet, voyage of the Chelsea Under-21 boss at the first-team helm will feature one last stop just across the Thames against west London rivals Fulham.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both nations boast vast petroleum reserves and extensive mineral wealth, long positioning themselves as anti-imperialist adversaries of the US.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
-
See video … STEPHEN MILLER – Our adversaries can no longer use Venezuela to export terrorism worldwide.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Antagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonists. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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