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
Along with that, two matches occur on the card to determine who advances in the 16-man tournament to decide Cena's final opponent.
—
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, some of Mamdani's most vocal billionaire opponents seemed to accept their defeat this week.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
In Virginia, voters chose Spanberger, a candidate who really struggled to condemn then-candidate for Attorney General Jay Jones, who fantasized about the murder of his Republican opponent and his children over text.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Go undefeated, earn the No. 2 seed, and your Round of 16 opponent could be Columbine?!?!?
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, some of Mamdani's most vocal billionaire opponents seemed to accept their defeat this week.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
In Virginia, voters chose Spanberger, a candidate who really struggled to condemn then-candidate for Attorney General Jay Jones, who fantasized about the murder of his Republican opponent and his children over text.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Go undefeated, earn the No. 2 seed, and your Round of 16 opponent could be Columbine?!?!?
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
-
Friday marked the All-NBA guard’s first chance to pour it on an inferior foe.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Start the man who has thrown more touchdowns against the Dolphins than his other AFC East foes combined.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
When integrated into multiple systems, the Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) can jam enemy systems with speed and precision.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Netanyahu said the country would continue trying to bring home the bodies of Israelis still being held across enemy lines, such as Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy hung in Damascus in 1965.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, who both stand alone as the only squads in their division with winning records, every other divisional leader holds only a slim edge over rivals in hot pursuit.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Recently, archaeologists found a massive stone basin in Italy dating back more than 2,000 years — remnants of a once-powerful rival of Rome.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Trump levied his greatest assault against the international economic order, announcing the most expansive set of tariffs in American history on both autocratic adversaries and America’s closest democratic allies in April 2025 (Russia was strikingly excluded).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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This is a kind of tribal affiliation that depends on an adversary.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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