1
as in foe
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
in martial arts, before the match begins, always bow to your opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
the senator has many political opponents who would love to ruin his career
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of opponent
As part of the new kickoff, the kicker’s teammates now line up on the opponent’s side of the field and nobody on either team can move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by the returner.
—
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Another team that beat the Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers, began the season with victories against two division opponents.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Kirkmeyer has an uphill battle to be certain, but her opponents are weakened.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Frazier was more John Henry than Joe Louis, driving steel over and over again into the core of his opponent.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Another team that beat the Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers, began the season with victories against two division opponents.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Kirkmeyer has an uphill battle to be certain, but her opponents are weakened.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Frazier was more John Henry than Joe Louis, driving steel over and over again into the core of his opponent.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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The teams may again meet this weekend in a match-up that will again stoke the political machinations between the foes.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Master Chief, much like the Doom Slayer, dwarfed most of his foes and was nigh-on invulnerable.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These vessels can blend into the ocean’s background noise and deploy advanced drones designed to confuse and distract enemy tracking systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
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At first, drones were used to scout and drop makeshift bombs onto enemy troops’ heads.—
Joseph Nepomuceno,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While the Gulf states may well reconsider aspects of their defense and procurement policies, a major re-pivot to primarily buying military hardware, especially sophisticated equipment, from China or Russia and other rivals of the Western powers seems highly unlikely.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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In-state alog with Miami’s huge win (see above), Fllrida played credibly in a 20-10 loss to 3-LSU, and FIU defeated rival FAU 38-28 in the annual Shula Bowl game.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Nation-state adversaries, led by China, are actively pre-positioning within the operational technology (OT) systems that control manufacturing lines, power generation and industrial processes.—
Bob Ackerman,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The biggest casualty, says Srivastava, will be the goodwill between India and the United States, built after decades of bitterness over Washington's support of India's adversaries like Pakistan.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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