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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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If convicted of the charges, Griffith faces punishments ranging from a fine of $1 to 270 days in jail.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
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The possible punishments vary dramatically.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The last of the old curses and the purest championship drought in the sport.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Set for Vietnamese release in the fourth quarter of 2025, The Whispering Spirit is based on ancient myths about special days known as ‘Tam Nương’ that have curses placed on them.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Lawrence also twice failed to snap the ball in time, resulting in delay-of-game penalties, including one on the final drive.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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But container shipping companies could still be risking other penalties at CBP’s discretion.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Davis and Lively each are dangerous lob threats.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The mother of Jacob De La Rosa, a 15-year-old Polytechnic High School student who was stabbed near the campus Friday afternoon, believes that her son’s death stemmed from threats that were made to Jacob’s older brothers.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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These phantom menaces don’t seem to bother Todd at all, though Indy is understandably upset by them.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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This has created a pressing need for new therapies capable of stopping these microscopic menaces from wreaking havoc.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nemeses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemeses. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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