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
Newsom, an opponent of the measure, had declined to send any money to the counties to implement the law, despite pleas from local officials.
—
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
Mamdani’s opponents, particularly Cuomo, have dismissed him as woefully unprepared for managing the complexities of running America’s largest city.
—Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
McNabb impressively suppressed opponents’ ability to generate shots and scoring chances despite playing difficult matchup minutes, with the Golden Knights surrendering just 1.79 goals against per 60 during his five-on-five shifts.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 15 June 2025
This year, his only opponent heading into the primary is Patrick Timmons, an adjunct law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former Bronx prosecutor.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
Mamdani’s opponents, particularly Cuomo, have dismissed him as woefully unprepared for managing the complexities of running America’s largest city.
—Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
McNabb impressively suppressed opponents’ ability to generate shots and scoring chances despite playing difficult matchup minutes, with the Golden Knights surrendering just 1.79 goals against per 60 during his five-on-five shifts.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 15 June 2025
This year, his only opponent heading into the primary is Patrick Timmons, an adjunct law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former Bronx prosecutor.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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The Old Guard 2 (Netflix movie) Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors face a powerful new foe.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
28 June 2025
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President Donald Trump brokered an historic ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran on Monday, marking a dramatic pause in the most significant military confrontation between the two foes.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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It’s often considered an enemy of development in the state due to its ability to slow projects to a grinding halt.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2025
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After each round, a new hand is drawn from the deck, enemies perform their actions (and maybe more enemies appear), and action points reset.—
Jason Bennett,
Arkansas Online,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Success stories are told in the language of domination—of markets, rivals, and time.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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The company was slow to deliver its Apple Intelligence platform and still lags rivals in key features.—
Sara Braun,
Fortune,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Malicious Insiders: Employees or contractors who intentionally exfiltrate data, damage systems or assist external adversaries 2.—
Muhi S. Majzoub,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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To achieve denial against a peer adversary like China, the United States may need to clearly signal a readiness to intervene, in what would be a test of the American public's appetite for more war.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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