Synonyms of foes

foes

noun

plural of foe

1

as in enemies

one that is hostile toward another

are you friend or foe?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enemies
• opponents
• adversaries
• hostiles
• antagonists
• attackers
• rivals
• competitors
• combatants
• archenemies
• invaders
• assailants
• ill-wishers
• archfoes
• nemeses
• banes
• bêtes noires
• emulators

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• friends
• allies
• buddies
• pals
• colleagues
• partners
• amigos
• chums
• cronies
• comrades
• fellows
• compadres
• mates
• musketeers
• collaborators
• accomplices
• confederates
• abettors
• followers
• disciples
• adherents
• supporters
• hearties
• sympathizers
• friendlies
• benefactors
• hail-fellows
• backers
• hobnobbers
• exponents
• hail-fellows-well-met
• well-wishers

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

• opponents
• rivals
• adversaries
• competitors
• enemies
• antagonists
• contestants
• equals
• matches
• combatants
• attackers
• invaders
• nemeses
• archenemies
• assailants
• curses
• banes
• bêtes noires

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• allies
• partners
• supporters
• proponents
• accomplices
• advocates
• champions
• confederates
• exponents
• sympathizers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foes

Curbasi's next task could be trying to stop Messi, who confounded foes with his goal-scoring in the group stage. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The millions of mourners at the funeral of the Iranian leader Ayatollah ‌Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war, may have put pressure on the regime to show resolve against the nation’s long-standing foes. — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Both are familiar foes, clashing on several occasions when playing for their club teams in the Premier League. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Unrestricted free agents Marcus Smart, 32, and Luke Kennard, 30, agreed to deals with Western Conference foes. — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

The 2018 runners-up and 2022 third-place finishers have three wins and a draw against African World Cup foes since 2014, including their third-place victory over Morocco. — Nbc News, NBC news, 28 June 2026

In all, the megacluster provides a sophisticated siege on an essential pathway in many bacteria, including Streptomyces’ foes. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026

Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 25 June 2026

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova went from friends to teammates to foes to bitter rivals in a span of two tennis careers. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 25 June 2026