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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, the Panthers added defenseman Seth Jones, then shocked the hockey world by acquiring longtime nemesis and former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.
—
Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Kasie finds records tying Gemma to Parker’s (Gary Cole) old nemesis, Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay).
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Nor about America’s main trade nemesis under successive administrations: China.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025
Washington star forward Alex Ovechkin had been Fleury’s chief nemesis when the goalie skated for the Pittsburgh Penguins early in their respective careers, and in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final when Ovechkin’s Caps beat Fleury’s Golden Knights for the NHL title.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Kasie finds records tying Gemma to Parker’s (Gary Cole) old nemesis, Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay).
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Nor about America’s main trade nemesis under successive administrations: China.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025
Washington star forward Alex Ovechkin had been Fleury’s chief nemesis when the goalie skated for the Pittsburgh Penguins early in their respective careers, and in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final when Ovechkin’s Caps beat Fleury’s Golden Knights for the NHL title.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
Noun
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So there's going to be people, vigilantes, superheroes that are involved in that.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Just as Matt realizes one of the officers killed White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes), a grenade is launched through the window, and the two vigilantes painfully jump down to the street.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The solution lies in addressing our housing shortage, not punishment.—
David Bonaccorsi,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
-
In cases of employment, housing, and public accommodation, by simply using one’s freedom of speech to utter a biologically factual pronoun, a person could find him or herself in the crosshairs of a Colorado Civil Rights Division investigation and punishment or possibly a lawsuit.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After turning undead and hiding her bite wound, Mary easily gets permission to re-enter the building, and quickly seduces Stack, before murdering him and infecting him with the vampire curse.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Maybe that’s more blessing than curse in our age of baldly allegorical horror movies.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In September of that year a hurricane hit, and Long Island bore the brunt of its wrath, leaving only destruction in its wake.—
Elyssa Goodman,
Them.,
25 Apr. 2025
-
And he’s plagued by these visions of wrath and desire.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Charging my Apple Watch every day is the bane of my existence, and despite years of efforts to improve it, the closest that Apple has come is to launch … fast charging?—
Adrienne So,
Wired News,
24 Apr. 2025
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My stomach had always been the bane of my body image struggles, and that loathing didn’t magically disappear as my uterus expanded to accommodate an undeniably miraculous addition.—
Michelle Konstantinovsky,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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According to Texas law, these charges can carry a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines and jail time of up to two years.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Two of his goals came from the penalty spot, while the other two both saw Surridge run onto a long ball beyond Chicago’s backline.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For the moment, this means the U.S. Department of Education cannot make good on its threat to punish noncompliant districts by withholding vital federal funding, including dollars that help K-12 schools serve low-income students and children with disabilities.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
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The threat of a trade war sparked by President Trump’s tariffs has played a role in the state’s license plate quandary.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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