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
To build both a better Iran and a safer world, Tehran and its antagonists will need to find a way out of this spiral.
—
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Edie Falco as General Francis Ardmore Joining the cast in The Way of Water, Edie Falco will reprise her role as General Francis Ardmore, one of the antagonists who continues fighting the Na’vi on Pandora, hoping to create a permanent home for humans on the planet.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
The protagonist is terrifying, and the antagonists are a supernatural evil.
—Anthony Jeselnik, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Actor Ron Perlman, delightfully deranged and playing one of two antagonists here (the other is Mexican film legend Claudio Brook), went on to become one of del Toro’s most enduring collaborators.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
Within only a few years, the Wicked Witches of Oz had regained their brooms and, with them, became central antagonists in the many spin-off stories and adaptations inspired by Baum's novel.
—Time, 21 Nov. 2025
The creative team explained that the extended timeline was partly due to the complexity of developing the new antagonists.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025
Bullies take many shapes and forms, pushy clients, domineering partners and uncooperative internals, filling out a murderer’s row of enough antagonists to populate Death Wish and its four increasingly campy sequels.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
The two sides are long-term antagonists.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Edie Falco as General Francis Ardmore Joining the cast in The Way of Water, Edie Falco will reprise her role as General Francis Ardmore, one of the antagonists who continues fighting the Na’vi on Pandora, hoping to create a permanent home for humans on the planet.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
The protagonist is terrifying, and the antagonists are a supernatural evil.
—Anthony Jeselnik, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Actor Ron Perlman, delightfully deranged and playing one of two antagonists here (the other is Mexican film legend Claudio Brook), went on to become one of del Toro’s most enduring collaborators.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
Within only a few years, the Wicked Witches of Oz had regained their brooms and, with them, became central antagonists in the many spin-off stories and adaptations inspired by Baum's novel.
—Time, 21 Nov. 2025
The creative team explained that the extended timeline was partly due to the complexity of developing the new antagonists.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025
Bullies take many shapes and forms, pushy clients, domineering partners and uncooperative internals, filling out a murderer’s row of enough antagonists to populate Death Wish and its four increasingly campy sequels.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
The two sides are long-term antagonists.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 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
-
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
-
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 11 Jan. 2026.
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