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
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Recent Examples of opponents
For the second time this season, the Sea View League opponents provided a nail-biter.
—
Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Michelsen is the rare pro who is unbothered by Tien’s left-handedness, even though most of his opponents are right-handed.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
In the last decade, that norm has to some degree fallen away, with voices on both the right and left likening their opponents to Nazis.
—Philissa Cramer, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Shaheed’s scary film as a returner had given all Seahawks opponents reason to beware.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Competition comes from not only opponents The last two years have tested Gallagher, especially after his all-star campaign.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
The other two opponents, Dyvonna Moss and Nadeja Henry, withdrew from the race in late December after Walker Thomas was removed and did not respond to requests to comment.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The ruling was followed by a series of similar lawsuits in Chico, Eureka, and Orange County, prompting the passage in 2021 of Assembly Bill 1344, which prevents opponents from suing safe syringe programs in California on the basis of noncompliance with California Environmental Quality Act.
—Albert Chern, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Michelsen is the rare pro who is unbothered by Tien’s left-handedness, even though most of his opponents are right-handed.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
In the last decade, that norm has to some degree fallen away, with voices on both the right and left likening their opponents to Nazis.
—Philissa Cramer, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Shaheed’s scary film as a returner had given all Seahawks opponents reason to beware.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Competition comes from not only opponents The last two years have tested Gallagher, especially after his all-star campaign.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
The other two opponents, Dyvonna Moss and Nadeja Henry, withdrew from the race in late December after Walker Thomas was removed and did not respond to requests to comment.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The ruling was followed by a series of similar lawsuits in Chico, Eureka, and Orange County, prompting the passage in 2021 of Assembly Bill 1344, which prevents opponents from suing safe syringe programs in California on the basis of noncompliance with California Environmental Quality Act.
—Albert Chern, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponents
Noun
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The book begins with a familiar spark, a rescue, but Wells wanted to push the setting into something stronger and tougher to move through, eventually coming up with another unique sci-fi setting that Murderbot and its friends can navigate while encountering friends, foes and more eye contact.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Seahawks and Rams will follow them in the NFC Conference Championship, a rubber match between these NFC West foes.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The governments of Israel and Iran have long considered each other arch enemies, and most Israelis reserve their ire for the regime in Tehran.—
Seyed Rahim Bathaei,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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His private character came under fire at key moments in his nation’s early history, conditioning his attitude toward political enemies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Mich -- Mila Holloway scored a career-high 26 points to help Michigan outlast Michigan State in overtime in the rivals' first matchup with both teams ranked in the top 15 of The Associated Press women's college basketball poll.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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In early May, with United due to host arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League during a time in which Covid-19 restrictions meant fans were not allowed into stadiums, supporters plotted a huge protest around one of the most high-profile fixtures in English football.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The uploads raised concerns inside DHS because the agency oversees federal cyber defense against foreign adversaries, including Russia and China.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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An officer in the video explained that the Yemeni Armed Forces deliberately targeted the vessel in the Gulf of Aden, aiming to send a message to adversaries that locations in the area were within the forces’ reach.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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How does your brand's value growth compare to category competitors?—
Steven Wolfe Pereira,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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This constitution, which Anthropic just updated, is one thing that differentiates Anthropic’s AI models from those offered by its competitors, such as OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Elon Musk’s xAI.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponents. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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