as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
a novel about a man who becomes the obsessed avenger of his sister's death
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Recent Examples of avenger
Before she was known as Lady Van Tassel and terrorized the town in New York with her ghostly avenger, Mary went by the name Sarah Archer, a young girl trying to survive her witch of a mother.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Kirk had been building his reputation as an imperious, right-wing avenger on college campuses, debating anyone willing to step up to the microphone to challenge him.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Mangione's image has been merged into memes with Nintendo's Luigi, portraying him as a vigilante avenger of systemic injustice.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
An important, if subtle, difference between Meiko Kaji and Pam Grier as action stars is that, where Kaji is an avenger, Grier is a protector.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025
The 22-year-old star is, for the first time since childhood, free from playing Mike Wheeler, who began his arc as the valiant but often obstinate tween avenger who wrangles a group of kids to battle the dark forces that reign just beneath the surface of Hawkins, Indiana.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Kirk had been building his reputation as an imperious, right-wing avenger on college campuses, debating anyone willing to step up to the microphone to challenge him.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Mangione's image has been merged into memes with Nintendo's Luigi, portraying him as a vigilante avenger of systemic injustice.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
An important, if subtle, difference between Meiko Kaji and Pam Grier as action stars is that, where Kaji is an avenger, Grier is a protector.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025
The 22-year-old star is, for the first time since childhood, free from playing Mike Wheeler, who began his arc as the valiant but often obstinate tween avenger who wrangles a group of kids to battle the dark forces that reign just beneath the surface of Hawkins, Indiana.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avenger
Noun
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In this version of the classic tale, Peter is Wendy's father, and James, the book’s Captain Hook, plans to seduce her to get back at his nemesis.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
26 Jan. 2026
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Formerly a longtime nemesis of the Mets, Kimbrel was one of the best closers of the 2010s.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Subway vigilantism existed as a vivid possibility long before there was ever a subway vigilante.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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Aldis Hodge as the detective and forensic psychologist who looks into the minds of killers to catch them goes on the hunt in the second season trailer for Cross for a ruthless vigilante pursuing a billionaire businessman tied to the murder of a playboy.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avenger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avenger. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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