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
  • Wildfires have also scorched thousands of acres in Arizona, which led Phoenix to ban all fireworks on city property including parks and within 1 mile of nature preserves, with punishments including $2,500 fines.
    Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • The parliament in England created laws against Quakers, forbidding them to worship freely, charging them with punishments for refusing to take oaths or refusing to remove their hats.
    Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 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
  • The parents, represented by the law firm Rosen Saba, demand a jury trial, exemplary and punitive damages and civil and statutory penalties.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 9 July 2026
  • Last year’s actual bonus spending — teams face penalties for exceeding their pools — again broke a record at more than $392 million.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • Google DeepMind views its AI agents as potential insider threats, emphasizing precise instructions to prevent misaligned actions.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • An official plot synopsis has yet to be released, but season 3 ended with several threats still looming, from the snaky Agent Musso (Kevin Pollak) to the bloodthirsty Renzetti family and Kansas City crime boss Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo).
    Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 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 13 Jul. 2026.

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