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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of opponents
Those opponents cited massive price tags in other states with similar efforts, and have argued the accounts harm public schools.
—
Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
The Texas quarterback and de facto royal family member struggled in the season opener at Ohio State, then racked up numbers against two of three lesser opponents.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
But there are still some staunch opponents, especially among the medical community, that have vocally protested the bill – which, according to Yonhap, would aim to formally license tattoo artists and require training on hygiene and safety.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
While Texas might not test Florida’s depth, seven of the Gators’ eight remaining opponents have top-50 scoring offenses.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Other conference opponents included San Jose State, McNeese and Nicholls State.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 24 Sep. 2025
Of course, to reach nine victories again, the Commodores will have to win five of their last eight games, seven of which are against SEC opponents.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 24 Sep. 2025
Many jurisdictions virtually ceased enforcing the law against dangerous, repeat offenders, while weaponizing law enforcement against political opponents like me.
—NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Rarely do Presidents mention their political opponents by name during joint sessions of Congress.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
The Texas quarterback and de facto royal family member struggled in the season opener at Ohio State, then racked up numbers against two of three lesser opponents.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
But there are still some staunch opponents, especially among the medical community, that have vocally protested the bill – which, according to Yonhap, would aim to formally license tattoo artists and require training on hygiene and safety.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
While Texas might not test Florida’s depth, seven of the Gators’ eight remaining opponents have top-50 scoring offenses.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Other conference opponents included San Jose State, McNeese and Nicholls State.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 24 Sep. 2025
Of course, to reach nine victories again, the Commodores will have to win five of their last eight games, seven of which are against SEC opponents.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 24 Sep. 2025
Many jurisdictions virtually ceased enforcing the law against dangerous, repeat offenders, while weaponizing law enforcement against political opponents like me.
—NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Rarely do Presidents mention their political opponents by name during joint sessions of Congress.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponents
Noun
-
The Biden administration completed the reversion to a Cold War frame, declaring a global divide between democracies and autocracies, with China and Russia reprising their roles as principal foes.—
JENNIFER KAVANAGH,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Sep. 2025
-
After a postseason race that went down to Game 162, the longtime foes are set to meet in a best-of-three Wild Card Series in New York, starting with Game 1 on Tuesday.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While it’s commonly believed that cats and dogs are inherent enemies, the American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that isn’t always the case.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Militaries are reviving old tactics with new technology, using decoys to confuse enemies and protect real weapons.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Issues around social media, respect between political rivals and free speech have been highlighted by the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder and CEO Charlie Kirk on September 10.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Because both the Lions and Packers are playoff contenders and longtime divisional rivals with fan bases that extend beyond their own cities, this year’s Thanksgiving match-up holds ample promise.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The piece was quickly condemned, mostly by ideological adversaries of Ingersoll.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Some of my favorite characters from my childhood will get to take on their toughest adversaries ever next year at Universal Studios Hollywood.—
Robert Niles,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Following this mass extinction, the oceans were largely empty of competitors but rich in food.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Anthropic appears to be pushing further ahead of its competitors in coding assistance and autonomous task completion, positioning its models toward corporate and workplace use.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponents. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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