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
  • The unrest began in mid-March but has intensified, leaving at least three dead as vigilantes armed with spears, clubs, and whips assaulted migrants and destroyed their homes.
    Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 28 June 2026
  • For a storyteller whose works revolve around complicated or slippery romances, life-altering revelations, and fateful everyday encounters, the brutality of the mafia and New York City street vigilantes feels far removed from her own.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
Noun
  • However, the court scaled back the punishments handed down by a lower court last year.
    Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo and Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi also avoided carrying pending punishments into the World Cup.
    Amber Harding, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • Directed by Sébastien Vanicek (2023’s Infested), the follow-up to 2023 reboot Evil Dead Rise stars Wednesday‘s Hunter Doohan in a story about curses lingering too long in a family and the undead that haunts them.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 July 2026
  • Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026
Noun
  • Glaringly, though, xAI does not indicate that Harwood received any warnings that his account risked penalties.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026
  • Early withdrawal penalties apply, at 90 days of interest for terms of a year or less and 180 days for longer terms.
    Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • In March, Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, condemned both US and Iranian threats to target civilian energy infrastructure.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Authorities said the inmate had been in custody since April 10, 2024, while awaiting trial on charges of robbery, criminal threats, brandishing a weapon and petty theft.
    Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 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
  • Her recent work revives a dreamy Renaissance style to show its absurd incompatibility with the raging, petulant menaces in whom the world’s power is concentrated.
    Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
  • Our roads are concussion- and whiplash-inducing menaces.
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Nemeses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemeses. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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