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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of opponent
Take Fulham, Arsenal’s opponents from last Saturday.
—
Ayo Akinwolere, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The Sixers, however, hadn’t considered the circumstances, the stakes, the resilience of an opponent with far bigger fish to fry than a second-round obstacle.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
But a full strength Edwards frequently finds ways to make opponents pay for such aggression by firing up the boosters to turn a corner and get downhill with aggression.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
But Sheehan pitched well enough, against a very good opponent and a very good opposing pitcher, for the Dodgers to consider this progress.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Ayo Akinwolere, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The Sixers, however, hadn’t considered the circumstances, the stakes, the resilience of an opponent with far bigger fish to fry than a second-round obstacle.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
But a full strength Edwards frequently finds ways to make opponents pay for such aggression by firing up the boosters to turn a corner and get downhill with aggression.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
But Sheehan pitched well enough, against a very good opponent and a very good opposing pitcher, for the Dodgers to consider this progress.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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But soon enough, old secrets and new foes force them back together.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
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The nonconference schedule is loaded with power conference foes and could be the most ambitious in school history.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Squad and platoon leaders can quickly launch drones to scout terrain, identify enemy positions and adjust movements without waiting for external support.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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The nation’s capital is crawling with right-wing enemies of Social Security who would like nothing more.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Noun
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This is a matchup of longtime rivals in the old Garden Grove League.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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Chimaev just wants his rival to make it to the cage.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The system also offers powerful intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance features, such as cameras and a telescope, allowing operators to see farther and capture footage of adversaries in high detail and resolution, as per reports.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
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The United States and China, the world’s largest economies, remain locked in a mutually dependent relationship as trading partners, economic competitors and adversaries.—
Youyou Zhou,
Washington Post,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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