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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 the group of masked vigilantes approached, several members beat Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was hospitalized for her injuries.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Of late, vigilantes have been rearing their heads in the United States, Europe, and Japan.
    — RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The punishments were carried out in public every Friday, after prayers.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Some of those students say the university found their attackers responsible for the assault – only to let them off the hook with light punishments.
    — Casey Tolan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 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
  • Brooks Koepka in January became the first LIV player to return to the PGA Tour under financial penalties that included no access to equity grants for five years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Wild killed all five penalties against them and are 21 for 22 this season, the best penalty kill rate in the NHL.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In other words, the biggest threats on the horizon might not be the Vatican or their local dioceses as much as time and money.
    — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The papers are said to have contained highly sensitive information, some likely supplied by Germany’s intelligence partners – so the affair could have serious international ramifications at a time when Europe is facing grave security threats.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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