antagonists

noun

plural of antagonist
1
as in enemies
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 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

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 antagonists But many voters regard the contest as more of a proxy fight between the president and his antagonists. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026 Blaze/Ghost Rider did not exactly have a signature villain but did have a coterie of demonic antagonists. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 Iran could also intensify its attacks on its direct antagonists. — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026 But of course where there’s one rat, there are usually more, and swarms of rats and an angry sea soon become the man’s antagonists. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026 Companion legislation would require school districts, public libraries, and other educational institutions statewide to stock opioid antagonists onsite. — Nathalia Fernandez, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Species once seen primarily as competitors or antagonists have turned out to be mutualists, with both parties benefiting. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Orexin antagonists were developed as a treatment for insomnia, differing from conventional sleeping pills that induce sedation. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026 GnRH antagonists block hormones in the pituitary gland to prevent the patient from ovulating early. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonists
  1. enemies
  2. opponents
  3. foes
  4. rivals
  5. adversaries
Noun
  • There’s something crazy about this season where there aren’t really any tight groups (except for Jelly and Devin) and everyone thinks their enemies are actually their allies.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Now comes Netflix’s spin on the romantic comedy to end all romantic comedies, starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden as the characters at the center of literature’s original enemies-to-lovers trope.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • John James and Mike Rogers, while both Republicans, are very different political candidates running markedly different campaigns against two very different opponents.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Meanwhile, opinion journalists for McClatchy Media conducted interviews with supporters and opponents of all 14.
    — Chris Fusco, Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of opponents
Noun
  • Former foes resurface to settle scores and fresh allegiances form, leaving him to act on his own to shield his family and bring things back under control.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
  • As the votes came in, SpaceX and Tesla shares dropped, as investors perhaps questioned if a potential merger between those firms may now be in doubt, with Musk’s political foes back in power and in a position to add friction.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of foes
Noun
  • Some AGs are still pursuing similar suits against Meta's rivals.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Most of Emirates’ rivals have yet to come back; still, British Airways this week resumed its London-Dubai route, returning for the first time since the war began.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of rivals
Noun
  • The initiative will target foreign adversaries and domestic actors who exploit advanced systems for unlawful purposes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Military action against both adversaries would only require Trump to give his say-so.
    — Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of adversaries

Browse Nearby Words

antagonistically
antagonists
antagonize
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Cite this Entry

“Antagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonists. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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