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
But to Maclay and his opponents alike, great problems of policy were inseparable from small matters of ritual.
—
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
His Democratic opponent in the primary, Juanita Irizarry, almost knocked him off with a challenge to his petitions but fell just short.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Carolyn Collins poured in 27 points and seven boards as Winchester got the 57-41 victory over Middlesex League opponent Wakefield.
—Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
They were pushed hard by coach Dan Hurley and his assistants, so they they were rarely challenged by opponents, ultimately rolling through the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
His Democratic opponent in the primary, Juanita Irizarry, almost knocked him off with a challenge to his petitions but fell just short.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Carolyn Collins poured in 27 points and seven boards as Winchester got the 57-41 victory over Middlesex League opponent Wakefield.
—Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
They were pushed hard by coach Dan Hurley and his assistants, so they they were rarely challenged by opponents, ultimately rolling through the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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Trump believes exacting tariffs can be a useful tool in prodding friends and foes on the global stage to bend to his will.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Infiniti plays Willa in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, a girl whose revolutionary parents (DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor) face off against military foes.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Michael Malone, during his Nuggets days, was a genius at creating enemies, of underlining slights that may or may not have ever been real.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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Hurt by Israel’s large-scale infiltration and strikes last year, Iran’s regime moved swiftly to brand those demanding change as enemies of the state.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Leo's primary rival is SpaceX's Starlink, which has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and roughly 9 million customers.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Bombardier and Gulfstream are head-to-head rivals, with the Global series battling for market share against Gulfstream’s latest models.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The president directed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to determine whether any foreign adversaries directly or indirectly sell goods or oil to Cuba.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
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In short, the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war are a weird laboratory for modern warfare, which, against all odds, has given Ukraine a considerable tactical edge over its much larger adversary.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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