1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another
are you friend or foe?
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
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
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Recent Examples of foes
Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in a physical game between the Northwest Division foes.
—
CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Trump allies — and foes — unite to oppose a blockbuster television merger.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Less than two years later, the couple announced their split from the royal family, but interest in them remained high as mostly negative headlines from Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloids – longtime foes of Prince Harry – carried over into News Corp’s vast stable of Australian mastheads.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
The Avs outscored foes 100-42 when MacKinnon was on the ice at 5-on-5 this year.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Implicit in that oath is to defend the country from foes, whether external or internal.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
Caught quoting lines of a phony Bible passage from Pulp Fiction as scripture Wednesday during a Pentagon ceremony, the former Fox News host has become even more of a piñata to political foes than ever.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
And Messi took it as a personal embarrassment that Miami settled for ties against mediocre MLS foes in its first two games at its brand new Miami Freedom Park stadium.
—Greg Cote
april 16, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Trump allies — and foes — unite to oppose a blockbuster television merger.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Less than two years later, the couple announced their split from the royal family, but interest in them remained high as mostly negative headlines from Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloids – longtime foes of Prince Harry – carried over into News Corp’s vast stable of Australian mastheads.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
The Avs outscored foes 100-42 when MacKinnon was on the ice at 5-on-5 this year.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Implicit in that oath is to defend the country from foes, whether external or internal.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
Caught quoting lines of a phony Bible passage from Pulp Fiction as scripture Wednesday during a Pentagon ceremony, the former Fox News host has become even more of a piñata to political foes than ever.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
And Messi took it as a personal embarrassment that Miami settled for ties against mediocre MLS foes in its first two games at its brand new Miami Freedom Park stadium.
—Greg Cote
april 16, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foes
Noun
-
Those who relish killing people not only create more enemies but forget that it has been promised that fire would lead to Armageddon.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
-
And their drone and missile strikes on their Muslim neighbors, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are only creating new enemies.—
Donald Heflin,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alaves are happy to chase their opponents up the pitch, Mallorca are more comfortable sitting back, while Sevilla have adopted a direct approach since Luis Garcia Plaza took over in March.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
At close range, Bruce would extend his neck to thrust at opponents, adding a run or jump to the motion when attacking from farther away.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But critics note Angola still has deep problems with corruption and have questioned if Lourenco’s actions were more aimed at political rivals so as to consolidate his power.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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This year's playoff matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will be the eighth time in history that the cross-state rivals meet in the postseason.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foes. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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