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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nemesis
Allan Houston sent the Knicks to the finals by dominating nemesis Reggie Miller in Game 6, scoring 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting to Miller’s 8 points on 3-of-18 shooting.
—
Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The New York Yankees continue to be the Kansas City Royals’ nemeses.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2026
Plus, outside of Kristina asking her island nemesis to name a loved one for every juror, the final Tribal Council lacked any sort of spark from the jury.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
The trail leads him to Jen (Zhang Ziyi), trained by Li Mu Bai’s nemesis, Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-Pei).
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The New York Yankees continue to be the Kansas City Royals’ nemeses.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2026
Plus, outside of Kristina asking her island nemesis to name a loved one for every juror, the final Tribal Council lacked any sort of spark from the jury.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
The trail leads him to Jen (Zhang Ziyi), trained by Li Mu Bai’s nemesis, Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-Pei).
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
Noun
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He is occasionally asked to comment on acts of public violence, compelled to defend the many vigilantes who have appeared in his wake.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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Except… there’s no indication Martin is repenting for his murderous vigilante rampage.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
Noun
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There are other interesting twists to the original story that highlight different parts of the themes of crime, punishment, family and responsibility.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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Therefore, a second execution would not violate the prohibition on double jeopardy or on the imposition of cruel punishment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
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As Rachel learns about the family curse that threatens her and her betrothed, Morrone digs in with emotional complexity and real grit.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Noun
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But as all the world knows, Edmond Dantès did rise again, transformed from an innocent young sailor into that courtly yet implacable avenger, the Count of Monte Cristo.—
Michael Dirda,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
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And it was signed, black dahlia avenger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Backup Spurs center Luke Kornet’s minutes have offered an opening this series — mostly a break from Wembanyama’s wrath.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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There are the victims, their families, and lives left shattered because of a single person’s vicious wrath.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Noun
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This fungal disease is the bane of rose gardeners everywhere, particularly in humid climates.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
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Karen Fukuhara, who plays the regenerating supe Kimiko, said her final scene was with Erin Moriarty and Karl Urban (who plays Billy Butcher, leader and sometimes bane of The Boys).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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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As the players linked arms as one by one — five of them were brave enough to take on the enormous pressure of these penalties — in the shadows was the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in their only other Champions League final twenty years ago.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Regulators are responding by increasing application costs and considering penalties for projects that reserve capacity without moving forward.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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