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
The Magic are 24-25 against Eastern Conference opponents.
—
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Gamecocks have thrived in the second half throughout the NCAA Tournament and have outscored opponents by nearly 14 points after halftime.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026
In the men’s final Monday, Connecticut and Michigan will play for the national championship after both roundly defeated their opponents in the semifinals.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November, to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Gamecocks have thrived in the second half throughout the NCAA Tournament and have outscored opponents by nearly 14 points after halftime.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026
In the men’s final Monday, Connecticut and Michigan will play for the national championship after both roundly defeated their opponents in the semifinals.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November, to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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Included in what would become a season-high 12-game winning streak were road victories over future Elite Eight foe Iowa and Purdue.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In natural systems, pests seldom reach outbreak levels because predators, parasitoids, and disease organisms (collectively called natural enemies) keep populations in check.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
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Targeting property Iran’s judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country’s rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved during last year’s 12-day war with Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran’s enemies.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Anthropic has sought to distinguish its brand from OpenAI and other rivals by publicly emphasizing AI safety, highlighting its guardrails for keeping the technology in line.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Jesse Peno paced things offensively, sniping six goals while dishing out a pair of assists as Nauset coasted to a 20-8 romp of Cape and Islands League rival Sandwich.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The vehicle is expected to operate in high-intensity combat scenarios against near-peer adversaries while integrating advanced digital and autonomous systems.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
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Anthropic is the first American company to be given the designation, which has historically been reserved for foreign adversaries.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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