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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of opponent
What separates me from my opponents is proven leadership.
—
Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
Philadelphia visits on Thursday and then Ottawa, two other opponents down in recent years, before a five-game road trip.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
As for Colorado's position, its opponents note that major medical associations have not always been right.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Any thoughts on a member from your own party calling for the murder of his Republican opponent and his children?
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
Philadelphia visits on Thursday and then Ottawa, two other opponents down in recent years, before a five-game road trip.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
As for Colorado's position, its opponents note that major medical associations have not always been right.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Any thoughts on a member from your own party calling for the murder of his Republican opponent and his children?
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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However, with five ranked foes remaining, and only two coming at home (only one of those two an SEC team, for that matter), Florida will need to sustain change, a feat Napier has yet to do.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Little Drummer Girl (2018), played supernatural baddie Randall Flagg in The Stand (2020–2021), and gave the Roy dynasty a worthy foe on Succession (2021–2023).—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While it’s commonly believed that cats and dogs are inherent enemies, the American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that isn’t always the case.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Designed to mislead enemies The inflatable structure mimics the silhouette of advanced aircraft when viewed from satellites or the air.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In front of the West Stand press box, fans sang and danced together to Spirit of the Blues and Singing the Blues — the latter a reference to rivals Liverpool’s defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Georgie, meanwhile, seeks to buy the auto shop after Jim considers selling it to a local rival, Fred Fagenbacher (Matt Letscher).—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Seoul, South Korea — A Japanese warship is on the way to the United States to be fitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the latest move by Washington and its Asian allies to beef up firepower as adversaries like China and North Korea expand theirs.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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The doctrine must commit to iterative refresh cycles every 6–12 months, keyed to adversary countermeasures.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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