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
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
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Recent Examples of nemeses
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
Lesbian agitators, such as Good, are its nemeses.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
With a brief mini-break in the rearview mirror, the Charlotte Hornets got back to action Thursday night, taking on one of their nemeses in the Southeast Division.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 Dec. 2025
There’s talk of death and murder (comically), and many nemeses are intent on destroying each other.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 8 Dec. 2025
Separately, Miranda gives a courtesy notice to all nemeses of Whitney that Whitney may attend her upcoming birthday party.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
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
Lesbian agitators, such as Good, are its nemeses.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
With a brief mini-break in the rearview mirror, the Charlotte Hornets got back to action Thursday night, taking on one of their nemeses in the Southeast Division.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 Dec. 2025
There’s talk of death and murder (comically), and many nemeses are intent on destroying each other.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 8 Dec. 2025
Separately, Miranda gives a courtesy notice to all nemeses of Whitney that Whitney may attend her upcoming birthday party.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemeses
Noun
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The film is an offbeat comedy following Cory, a lonely tech worker drawn into a quirky Los Angeles underground world of plant-loving vigilantes.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually, this revolt from bond vigilantes will make lawmakers bite the bullet.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The family challenged these unfair punishments.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
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The fight While punishments for people who've caused fatal crashes while high have varied wildly from state to state, Resecker's sentence stands out for being unusually tough, especially given his young age, according to a USA TODAY review of similar cases.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pay multiple people from the crafts site Etsy to perform tarot readings, lift any existing curses and otherwise engage in witchcraft.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Failure to comply could result in penalties of up to $250,000 per violation.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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In a game where the Stars smashed the Oilers, Hryckowian was pestering Edmonton players all night en route to drawing four penalties.—
R.J. Coyle,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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By processing large volumes of data quickly, AI can help determine which drones represent actual threats and which might be acting as decoys within a swarm.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
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But Malema was convicted of hate speech for making threats last year, and his party won less than ten per cent of the national vote in the most recent South African election—hardly a ringing endorsement of his ideas.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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But the ability to beat back our more routine pathological menaces is a good indicator of the country’s ability to take on bigger, more virulent threats.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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His job is to help fight these teeny-tiny menaces.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nemeses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemeses. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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