1
as in vigilante
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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2
as in punishment
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 curse
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 nemesis
His nemesis, who impulsively decides to run against him, is the town’s sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), who is skeptical of masking.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Quavo plays Straw, Malik’s arch-nemesis.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
This year, the landscape has been altered in their favor as their top nemesis, King Philip, recently dropped to Div.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Miami advanced as Lionel Messi’s two goals led a 3-1 home win over nemesis Orlando.
—Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Quavo plays Straw, Malik’s arch-nemesis.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
This year, the landscape has been altered in their favor as their top nemesis, King Philip, recently dropped to Div.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Miami advanced as Lionel Messi’s two goals led a 3-1 home win over nemesis Orlando.
—Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
Noun
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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
-
The livestreams, vigilante investigators, extremists sending death threats, and conspiracist threads will continue their work.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By embedding halfway houses into the federal transition process, Bush underscored his belief that effective reentry programs could reduce recidivism and strengthen families, turning correctional policy toward rehabilitation as much as punishment.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
On Friday, Major League Baseball downgraded Chapman’s punishment to an undisclosed find, which was also part of the original punishment.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some monks who were once forced off the island put a curse on it and everyone who ever took anything away from it.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
-
When her curse begins to affect her physically, Amada travels to the Abyss to seek a cure from the Grand Warlock.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mangione's image has been merged into memes with Nintendo's Luigi, portraying him as a vigilante avenger of systemic injustice.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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An important, if subtle, difference between Meiko Kaji and Pam Grier as action stars is that, where Kaji is an avenger, Grier is a protector.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Pols of all stripes knew how popular PBS and NPR were, and ultimately didn’t want to face the wrath of angry constituents wondering where Big Bird went.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Detroit Tigers took the entire Yankees pitching staff to school for the second game in a row on Wednesday, and Doval felt their wrath as much as anyone.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Inclement weather has long been the bane of festivals and outdoor tours, and differentiating between climate change and a stretch of bad storms can be tricky.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
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In the first episode, my friend Anthony, who’s also a cameraman on the show, talks about vertical video being the bane of society.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While New York authorities brought murder charges against Mangione that don’t carry a potential death penalty, federal prosecutors have charged him with using a firearm to commit murder and are seeking the death penalty in their case.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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Bringing a firearm through a checkpoint, even accidentally, can lead to criminal charges, civil penalties of up to $15,000 and the loss of TSA PreCheck eligibility.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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