antagonists

noun

plural of antagonist
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

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 Blaze/Ghost Rider did not exactly have a signature villain but did have a coterie of demonic antagonists. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 But the two eventually became antagonists, a split that broke into public view in the aftermath of the Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 20 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
  • Continue reading … STAR WARS — America's enemies prepare to take the next major war into outer space.
    — , FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than growing up on the paradise island of Themyscira, Kelly Thompson’s Wonder Woman is raised in Hell by the witch Circe — historically one of her greatest enemies.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 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
  • But it is deeply connected to Proposition 40 and is funded by foes of the billionaire tax.
    — Times staff, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Assassination attempts against Putin's foes -- routinely denied by the Kremlin -- have been common during his decades in power.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of foes
Noun
  • The Pixel 10a can climb to a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, blowing rivals out of the water.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That’s becoming more and more difficult for many, as Chinese buyers ditch foreign brands in favor of domestic rivals.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivals
Noun
  • Saab says Sea Giraffe AMB D incorporates electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to help maintain surveillance performance in environments where adversaries try to disrupt detection and tracking.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • If the United States fails to safeguard its deepening military partnerships, adversaries will have more opportunities than ever before to at once undermine American defenses and improve their own militaries.
    — Sam Mullins, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of adversaries

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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 2 Nov. 2026.

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