opposes

verb

present tense third-person singular of oppose
1
as in resists
to refuse to give in to I will continue to oppose any attempts to infringe upon our civil liberties

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in combats
to strive to reduce or eliminate we must oppose ignorance and prejudice wherever and whenever they arise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of opposes The Moon opposes probing Pluto, bringing attention to unfinished tasks, mental clutter, or a habit that no longer helps. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026 HOPE Not Hate, a British advocacy group that opposes far-right extremism, has been tracking Patriot Platform. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026 Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU, says a wide swath of people across the political spectrum opposes Flock cameras. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 5 Sep. 2026 The Keller City Council also passed a resolution that opposes the Circle T data center and authorizes legal action if Westlake moves forward with building the complex. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026 The Moon opposes Venus earlier today, reminding us that our needs and other people’s needs may not automatically line up. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The limits to this approach may be most obvious on September 18, when Mercury opposes Saturn. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 The Chinese government firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Any librarian who opposes this cut should feel free, like Patty, to speak out against it in their personal capacity. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opposes
  1. resists
  2. combats
  3. fights
  4. confronts
  5. counters
Verb
  • Hossain resists reading the film as a direct response to that period, though.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Why At a time when images are constantly produced and quickly forgotten, this open call invites artists to create work that resists repetition, holds attention, and makes something felt.
    — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of resists
Verb
  • The Chinese government firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Fed typically combats inflation by raising its benchmark interest rate to slow borrowing and spending and cool the economy.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of combats
Verb
  • Another shoreside community fights beach erosion Laguna Beach public works officials have closed a section of Aliso Beach’s parking lot after high tides and strong waves washed away sand and undermined a section of the lot.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Water has become so scarce that fights break out between neighbors when a water truck arrives, and protests over the lack of water have become common.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fights
Verb
  • The administration confronts anger over rising costs, reclassified casualties and Brent crude near $95 a barrel, with gas prices and inflation squeezing Americans as Republicans try to protect narrow congressional majorities.
    — Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In the finale, Alice confronts Easton at his home and has to acknowledge that an entire cohort of people — cops, other wealthy men, even Easton’s own daughter — were complicit in his crimes.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of confronts
Verb
  • When the police warn him that such invasive reporting might affect the case, Lamb counters that that’s very much his intention.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • However, the Illinois Policy Institute counters that a millionaire tax could open the door for higher taxes on thousands of local small businesses by generating an uptick in their marginal state income tax rate.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of counters

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Cite this Entry

“Opposes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opposes. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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