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
It is asked not only by her antagonists but by women who project onto her their own sense of the records kept by their bodies.
—
Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Mays and Clemmett are well matched as antagonists, balancing the flamboyant flaws and stubborn humanity of their characters.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There are two main types of antagonists in Star Trek.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Journalists aren’t forced to play antagonists in a room already primed to resent them.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Irons will play one of the film's antagonists, the leader of a secret order called the Watchers who keep an eye on immortals, viewing them as a threat to humanity.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Practical effects are scarce, and the game’s notorious array of Cronenberg-like antagonists have been mostly drained of their trademark physicality.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Additional guest stars include Holt McCallany as the Titan Atlas, one of the major antagonists from The Titan's Curse.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Beta blockers, or beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists, are a class of drugs that lower blood pressure and heart rate.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Mays and Clemmett are well matched as antagonists, balancing the flamboyant flaws and stubborn humanity of their characters.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There are two main types of antagonists in Star Trek.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Journalists aren’t forced to play antagonists in a room already primed to resent them.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Irons will play one of the film's antagonists, the leader of a secret order called the Watchers who keep an eye on immortals, viewing them as a threat to humanity.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Practical effects are scarce, and the game’s notorious array of Cronenberg-like antagonists have been mostly drained of their trademark physicality.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Additional guest stars include Holt McCallany as the Titan Atlas, one of the major antagonists from The Titan's Curse.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Beta blockers, or beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists, are a class of drugs that lower blood pressure and heart rate.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonists
Noun
-
The president has directed the department to pursue his personal enemies and has replaced career DOJ employees with inexperienced MAGA loyalists, sometimes to the detriment of his own agenda.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Olivia, Bailey’s mother, was really Kate Smith, and her father was Nicholas Bell (David Morse), famous mob lawyer for The Syndicate, or The Organization, a group notorious for crimes and brutal retaliation against their enemies.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Centrist leaders in the United Kingdom, France and Germany resist spending a larger percentage of their strained budgets defending against a Russian threat that their far-right populist opponents might think can be easily negotiated away.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Wright’s opponents include the former Tarrant County GOP Party chair and two candidates who ran for the commission in 2024.—
Aarón Torres,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When wind or solar energy projects apply for permits at county councils and zoning commissions across the United States, supporters and foes often pack the rooms to testify for or against.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond the Epstein files, Democrats raised broad concerns about the Justice Department increasingly investigating and prosecuting the president’s political foes.—
Ana Ceballos,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Currently, Chelsea are third, one point behind United in second and four ahead of Arsenal in fourth, but their London rivals have two games in hand.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The Economist has been covering markets, finance, and global affairs since 1843, watching rivals come and go from its perch.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The warning to adversaries still came through.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The mission said intelligence agencies routinely persecuted political adversaries, falsifying evidence to justify arrests and in some cases resorting to torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Antagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonists. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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