1
as in foes
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 enemies
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of opponents
Marcus Smart stepped in front of driving opponents.
—
Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Attorney Ryan Jacobson from Amundsen Davis said the payments covered attorneys fees for two ongoing lawsuits the senator brought against political opponents.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
The emails, part of a large cache of messages among city officials, consultants and others, likely will intensify complaints from opponents who say the process has unfolded largely out of view.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
Doyle argues the reconditioning of riverbeds isn’t as chaotic as opponents suggest.
—Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, 9 Mar. 2026
The Heat has outscored opponents by nine points per 100 possessions with Herro on the court in nine games since his return, creating a tricky starting lineup/rotation decision for Spoelstra when Powell eventually returns from injury.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Several new candidates on Mecklenburg County ballots unseated incumbents this week, with two state lawmaker candidates defeating their opponents in landslides.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
In the game, when a player kills multiple opponents without also dying, they are rewarded with the ability to conduct a missile strike to exterminate an opposing team.
—Casey Ryan Kelly, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
Cornyn, for his part, has not shied away from the criticism and has even punched back at his opponents.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Attorney Ryan Jacobson from Amundsen Davis said the payments covered attorneys fees for two ongoing lawsuits the senator brought against political opponents.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
The emails, part of a large cache of messages among city officials, consultants and others, likely will intensify complaints from opponents who say the process has unfolded largely out of view.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
Doyle argues the reconditioning of riverbeds isn’t as chaotic as opponents suggest.
—Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, 9 Mar. 2026
The Heat has outscored opponents by nine points per 100 possessions with Herro on the court in nine games since his return, creating a tricky starting lineup/rotation decision for Spoelstra when Powell eventually returns from injury.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Several new candidates on Mecklenburg County ballots unseated incumbents this week, with two state lawmaker candidates defeating their opponents in landslides.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
In the game, when a player kills multiple opponents without also dying, they are rewarded with the ability to conduct a missile strike to exterminate an opposing team.
—Casey Ryan Kelly, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
Cornyn, for his part, has not shied away from the criticism and has even punched back at his opponents.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponents
Noun
-
The public revelation on July 16, 1973, of a taping system designed to record all the president’s conversations stunned Nixon friends and foes alike.—
Douglass K. Daniel,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In Oakland, the company has encountered numerous foes, including former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who unsuccessfully tried to indict Radius on numerous felony charges in 2023 over a massive fire that left black smoke billowing in the sky.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Shakespeare’s fierce and primal tragedy follows the celebrated warrior who knows how to conquer enemies but not how to win hearts.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Encouraging Natural Predators Attracting the natural enemies of moles to your yard might not work overnight but pays great dividends in the long run.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Live Nation has faced years of antitrust scrutiny over its 2010 acquisition of Ticketmaster, which was cleared by the Obama administration and later contested as inadequate by rivals, lawmakers and fans.—
Josh Sisco,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
HostArmada may lack Windows server support and has stricter storage and database size limits compared with rivals offering similar plans.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Designating the company a supply chain risk cuts off Anthropic's defense work using an authority that was designed to prevent foreign adversaries from harming national security systems.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Anthropic is suing the government over the designation, which is typically reserved for companies from countries the US views as adversaries.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Harris entered the race with a $4 million backing, according to FEC filings, a staggering amount compared to his competitors.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The key points of the settlement include an over $200-million payment, a divestment from some amphitheaters, a gradual end to exclusive ticketing contracts with venues, and opening up Ticketmaster’s platform to competitors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponents. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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