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
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Recent Examples of antagonists
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 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
There are endless examples of gerontophobic horror movies with elderly antagonists, but Anything for Jackson takes a more interesting path by keeping Henry and Audrey largely sympathetic.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Bronstein, her every utterance brimming with deadpan passive-aggression, was shrewd to cast herself as one of Linda’s many antagonists.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Known for roles in Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, Giancarlo admits that antagonists have always fascinated him because of their complexity.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Oct. 2025
However, the actor had previously played antagonists in shows such as Lost, Being Human, Dexter, Revolution and The Tomorrow People.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 13 Sep. 2025
On the Dungeon Master side, the book included new organizations, guilds and other element of city life that can be used as allies and antagonists.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 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
There are endless examples of gerontophobic horror movies with elderly antagonists, but Anything for Jackson takes a more interesting path by keeping Henry and Audrey largely sympathetic.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Bronstein, her every utterance brimming with deadpan passive-aggression, was shrewd to cast herself as one of Linda’s many antagonists.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Known for roles in Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, Giancarlo admits that antagonists have always fascinated him because of their complexity.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Oct. 2025
However, the actor had previously played antagonists in shows such as Lost, Being Human, Dexter, Revolution and The Tomorrow People.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 13 Sep. 2025
On the Dungeon Master side, the book included new organizations, guilds and other element of city life that can be used as allies and antagonists.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonists
Noun
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Lower courts have ruled Trump overstepped his authority under a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Price, a former Navy man, is conveying the exhaustion of Black sailors and soldiers in a military that continues to enshrine—most recently, in the names of Army bases—its Confederate enemies.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Welbeck, who has four goals in his last three games, is an expert at dragging opponents out of position.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Those moves all paid off in the form of a dominant regular season and a playoffs which saw Oklahoma City race past most of its opponents, eventually beating the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals in seven games to secure the franchise’s first title since moving from Seattle in 2008.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
20 Oct. 2025
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The complexity of the mechanics becomes a little more apparent as tougher foes begin blocking and parrying more astutely, forcing the player’s hand to put in a little more effort in their decision making.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Analysts say Nike’s lack of product innovation and absence from wholesalers in recent years allowed those upstart rivals to gain market share.—
Merritt Enright,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
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The Israeli Premier League match was due to be played at Bloomfield Stadium, which is shared by the two rivals, but videos on social media showed fans clashing with police both inside and outside the area.—
Amy Woodyatt,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Cuban Missile Crisis suggests that leaders sometimes respond more effectively when adversaries stay quiet and that open declarations of intent, paradoxically, can make governments more likely to dismiss threats as posturing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
-
In recent years, the alliance has sought to be more transparent about nuclear exercises to reassure the public and partners while deterring potential adversaries.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonists. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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