nemeses

plural of nemesis
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
3

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 Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeton are workplace nemeses who serve as executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Kayla Olson, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 The actors played each other's nemeses in the comedy series created by and starring Seth Rogen. Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026 The New York Yankees continue to be the Kansas City Royals’ nemeses. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2026 Various nemeses and side characters enter the fray, from Jim’s archenemy (and also Insta-famous) Pavel to the scally with a sneaker-sniffing fetish who guides Jim and Lucien to their next destination. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026 Yura’s nemeses, who are part of her elderly father’s underwater court, seem to be after her magical flute, an ancient device that controls their kingdom’s dragon. Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 1 May 2026 So have their nemeses in the LAPD. Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 Pete McBride Advertisement Five and half decades ago, two Colorado River nemeses, Floyd Dominy of the Bureau of Reclamation (pro-dam) and David Brower of the Sierra Club (anti-dam), did just that. Pete McBride, Time, 27 Feb. 2026 By fighting for fairness and equality, while simultaneously asking us to care for others with compassion and empathy (sharing this with our frenemies and nemeses will be hard, but valuable in teaching them to be kind). Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemeses
Noun
  • As yields surged over the summer, he was unfazed, saying there was still no sign that the bond vigilantes were revolting.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Besides, though the presence of armed vigilantes helped many in town feel safer, the fact remained that much of Michoacán was still lawless.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Even an Impractical Joker, after hundreds of public challenges and punishments designed to push the limits of embarrassment, could still tense up when a cellphone camera caught him experimenting with a new bit.
    Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Orwellian parallels and Cold War overtones are strong on this particular planet, where a hive-mind entity enforces conformity through mass surveillance and zero-tolerance punishments.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Vieira said the show offers another opportunity for people to discover Rockport beyond the fictional curses portrayed in the series.
    Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But repression isn’t a good plan when generations-long curses run in the bloodline, because Sally’s daughter Kylie (Joey King), now a college student, has gone and fallen in love behind her mother’s back.
    Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The House is embarking on its last days in session before breaking for the midterms, with a final vote expected Wednesday on a bill ratcheting up penalties on Russia.
    Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • However, no individual officials are named in the report and a public inquiry doesn't have the power to make criminal charges or impose penalties.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The Air Force says this architecture should allow new technologies to be incorporated as threats and requirements change.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
  • And then hit a wall, which was the deadline for placing it on the June ballot with other things coming up in Sacramento — real threats to the power of transfer taxes, to the power of our city to have transfer taxes at all.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The actresses play the delightful mother-daughter duo Angela and Ainsley — who are oftentimes the banes of Tommy's (Billy Bob Thornton) existence — in the Taylor Sheridan series.
    Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Things don't go well, though, and menaces from across many realities show up to make a big mess.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026
  • There are some crazy laser rays, goofy wipe transitions, robots who are menaces to society, to be sure.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Nemeses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemeses. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster