1
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
are you friend or foe?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
this Saturday our team will go up against our longtime foes in a game that will determine the champion of the conference
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 foe
Cuba joined Iran, Russia and other foes of Washington in condemning the raid at the United Nations.
—
Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 4 Jan. 2026
But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Trump has thoroughly corrupted the Justice Department, but its selective prosecutions of his foes have been thwarted by judges and, more strikingly, by grand juries.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Chris McSweeney and Kyle McSweeney combined for 31 points to pace Cohasset to a 63-47 victory over nonleague foe Collegiate Charter Lowell.
—Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foe
Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 4 Jan. 2026
But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Trump has thoroughly corrupted the Justice Department, but its selective prosecutions of his foes have been thwarted by judges and, more strikingly, by grand juries.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Chris McSweeney and Kyle McSweeney combined for 31 points to pace Cohasset to a 63-47 victory over nonleague foe Collegiate Charter Lowell.
—Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foe
Noun
-
When integrated into multiple systems, the Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) can jam enemy systems with speed and precision.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Netanyahu said the country would continue trying to bring home the bodies of Israelis still being held across enemy lines, such as Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy hung in Damascus in 1965.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Emmer has been a staunch opponent of Walz for some time, whose antagonism for the governor heightened once Walz became the vice presidential running mate to former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Garrett faced multiple opponents on 90 percent of his pass rushing snaps prior to Week 18, per PFF.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, who both stand alone as the only squads in their division with winning records, every other divisional leader holds only a slim edge over rivals in hot pursuit.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Recently, archaeologists found a massive stone basin in Italy dating back more than 2,000 years — remnants of a once-powerful rival of Rome.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foe. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share