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
Relevance
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
Players schlep downstairs, wearing slippers or sandals, and walk through the game plan and what to expect from their opponents.
—
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
His opponents have strong cases, too.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The Kings are 3-11 against opponents in the Pacific Division.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Orbán's campaign has been wracked by reports that his government colludes with Moscow, and tension has risen over government efforts to crack down on his political opponents.
—Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
And on deck tonight, UConn and Michigan will play for the men’s title after both roundly defeated their opponents in the Final Four.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
At the time, Republicans did not back the plan and opponents argued the measure deprived people of due crisis and failed to address the needs of individuals in a crisis.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
What’s more, those opponents say, the measure would allow foster kids to be placed in unlicensed residential facilities that are not regulated or overseen by the state.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
His opponents have strong cases, too.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The Kings are 3-11 against opponents in the Pacific Division.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Orbán's campaign has been wracked by reports that his government colludes with Moscow, and tension has risen over government efforts to crack down on his political opponents.
—Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
And on deck tonight, UConn and Michigan will play for the men’s title after both roundly defeated their opponents in the Final Four.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
At the time, Republicans did not back the plan and opponents argued the measure deprived people of due crisis and failed to address the needs of individuals in a crisis.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
What’s more, those opponents say, the measure would allow foster kids to be placed in unlicensed residential facilities that are not regulated or overseen by the state.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponents
Noun
-
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The second and final meeting of the regular season between the cross-conference foes at American Airlines Center went a bit differently Friday night.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Those who relish killing people not only create more enemies but forget that it has been promised that fire would lead to Armageddon.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
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And their drone and missile strikes on their Muslim neighbors, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are only creating new enemies.—
Donald Heflin,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Over the past few years, Chinese automakers were already expanding EV development and production while growing exports faster than American or European rivals, offering cheaper models and gaining ground in regions like Southeast Asia.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
No word on what happens after ceasefire expires The face-to-face talks that ended early Sunday were the highest-level negotiations between the longtime rivals since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Iran rejected the proposal, saying a pause in fighting would allow adversaries to prepare for the continuation of the conflict.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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Information-sharing by US AI companies about adversarial distillation echoes a standard practice in the cybersecurity industry, where firms regularly swap data on attacks and adversaries’ tactics as a way to strengthen network defenses.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The country has managed to find alternatives to some of the technology it has been cut off from, such as high-bandwidth memory to Nvidia competitors.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The competitors’ blood gets pumping a little faster, adrenaline ready to go.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponents. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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