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
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Recent Examples of opponent
Internet shutdowns constitute a collective punishment, negatively impacting not only political opponents and protest groups but society as a whole.
—
Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
But on the day of the filing deadline, Bass found herself with a surprise opponent, Raman, who had been an ally and stood to run to her left in the heavily Democratic city.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 May 2026
The Spokane Velocity play in USL League One alongside AC Boise and served as the Idaho club’s first home opponent.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 May 2026
The move angered some Senate Republicans who fear Paxton is an easier opponent for Democrat James Talarico.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
But on the day of the filing deadline, Bass found herself with a surprise opponent, Raman, who had been an ally and stood to run to her left in the heavily Democratic city.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 May 2026
The Spokane Velocity play in USL League One alongside AC Boise and served as the Idaho club’s first home opponent.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 May 2026
The move angered some Senate Republicans who fear Paxton is an easier opponent for Democrat James Talarico.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
-
On Thursday, the tournament celebrated him, bringing out many of the top players and some of his old friends and foes to hit and giggle and say goodbye.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
-
Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game where players create fantasy characters and roll dice to determine whether their actions, like a sword attack or a persuasive argument, are successful against their foes.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Joining the military includes an oath, a binding pledge to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic and maintain allegiance to the country.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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Upon receiving target coordinates, the RCH 155 can aim and fire up to nine rounds in rapid succession before speeding away in around 30 seconds, before enemy artillery has time to return fire.—
David Szondy
May 23,
New Atlas,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Cooper officially claimed the first-ever cellphone call in history when Joel Engel — his rival at AT&T — answered.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
The overall design feels more luxury lifestyle than clinical chic—a knack that few spas have achieved so successfully, which means this is a much more relaxing place than many rivals.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
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 25 May. 2026.
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