OPPONENT Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

opponent

noun

ə-ˈpō-nənt

Definition of opponent

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

as in enemy

one that is hostile toward another the senator has many political opponents who would love to ruin his career

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of opponent By the end of the 2025 season, Santa Margarita was 35 points better than its closest opponent. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 The Longhorns were up 17-3 after Ryan Niblett returned a punt for a touchdown to give the Horns a two-score lead midway through the second quarter while their opponent, the Florida Gators, looked hapless. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 The shift after New York coach Mike Sullivan called timeout to attempt to stunt his opponent's momentum, Arseny Gritsyuk scored on a juicy rebound to end Garand's night following four goals on 13 shots. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The Chargers, this week’s opponent in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, did just that, even after reaching the playoffs. — Sam McDowell 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opponent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent

Noun

Assassination attempts against Putin's foes -- routinely denied by the Kremlin -- have been common during his decades in power.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Assassination attempts against Putin's foes — routinely denied by the Kremlin — have been common during his decades in power.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of foe

Noun

Compassion doesn’t mean that presidents or other public officials should bow to enemies or surrender common sense in tackling the world’s harsh realities.

— Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
And despite huge military spending, Saudi forces have struggled to deter their enemies.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of enemy

Noun

The integration could help American troops operate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) when adversaries attempt to disrupt battlefield communications.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Washington, for its part, is creating friction in many of its partnerships instead of deepening them, and risks squandering its network just as its adversaries are learning to make more of theirs.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of adversary

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opinions

opponent

opponents

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Style

“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of opponent

noun

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