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
Since then, the opponents made a joint plea for more funding for state crime evidence labs.
—
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
However, the men in pink sent a clear warning the last three games, outscoring opponents 13-3.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Right now, there’s a broad consensus that the global populist right understands our almost post-literate new media in a way their opponents never will.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Carpenter only stood on the mats for a moment, but throughout her performance two red-belt opponents battled it out while wearing sneakers with their uniforms.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
However, the men in pink sent a clear warning the last three games, outscoring opponents 13-3.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Right now, there’s a broad consensus that the global populist right understands our almost post-literate new media in a way their opponents never will.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Carpenter only stood on the mats for a moment, but throughout her performance two red-belt opponents battled it out while wearing sneakers with their uniforms.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
20 Oct. 2025
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That would of course include a victory in the season finale against cross-town foe Southern California.—
Eddie Timanus,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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What to Do About Leaves Fallen leaves are a friend or an enemy to the home lawn, depending on how they are managed.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
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Only three of his 157 passes this year have wound up in enemy hands, which is not very promising for a 49ers defense that’s gone an NFL-record 13 straight games without an interception.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Las Vegas Raiders are making their final preparations for their Week 7 showdown against the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
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The group evidently believes Kansas City's recent uptick in performance coupled with Rashee Rice's return from a six-game suspension will allow the Chiefs to cruise to a victory over their divisional rivals.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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The Cuban Missile Crisis suggests that leaders sometimes respond more effectively when adversaries stay quiet and that open declarations of intent, paradoxically, can make governments more likely to dismiss threats as posturing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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