1
as in vigilantes
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
Batman is the Joker's main nemesis and always foils his wicked plots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in punishments
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
social ostracism was once society's nemesis for those who defied its sexual mores
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curses
a source of harm or misfortune
irrationality is the nemesis of democracy, for good government depends upon the wisdom of the electorate
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 nemeses
The Nevermore kids soon encounter their ideal nemeses in a troop of normie paramilitary Boy Scout types who’ve reserved the camp for the same days.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemeses
Noun
-
So there's going to be people, vigilantes, superheroes that are involved in that.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Armed with clubs and pistols, vigilantes went door to door, herding more than three hundred men, women, and children through the streets and out of town.—
Beth Lew-Williams,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Arbitrary rulemaking and punishments, absurdism and fringe beliefs are part and parcel of Lanthimos’ storytelling.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The college football season has now reached its midway point, and while numerous punishments have already been handed down to programs this year—most stemming from field-storming incidents—Tuesday brought a notable enforcement under a different policy.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The source of a zombie outbreak can come from anywhere, including ancient curses and meteorites from space.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That mindset leads to no shortage of delightfully blasé supernatural adventures rife with magic and curses.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Justice Department, in its defense of the tariffs, has highlighted the expansive way Trump has used them, arguing that the trade penalties are part of his power over foreign affairs, an area where the courts should not second-guess the president.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Violating the law could result in various penalties depending on the severity of the situation, including fines or jail time.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The ability for existing infrastructure, like long-range security cameras, to not only secure evidence of potential threats, but also define and categorize them is key to automating security operations.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Kleinstreuer, who subsequently received harassing messages and death threats online, has required security protection.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But along with ready cash, the laissez-faire approach brought the banes of corruption, criminal infiltration, and rampant pollution.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The aforementioned around-town mileage, for example, was one of the biggest banes of the Jeep owner's existence.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Perhaps the most familiar trope of Scooby-Doo stories is the resolution, where our investigators unmask the human villains who are menaces dressed as monsters.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
-
These phantom menaces don’t seem to bother Todd at all, though Indy is understandably upset by them.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nemeses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemeses. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share