as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
there was a long history of adversary dealings between the two nations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
our adversaries in tomorrow's meet are from one of the top schools in the league
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adversary
Dan Morse, Alex Horton, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2022
At the same time, Trump's tirades against trade deals with nations like China played into a belief among many people that such pacts had hollowed out the American dream, while building middle classes lives for citizens of adversary nations.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 28 Sep. 2017
Chloe Albanesius, PCMAG, 19 Jan. 2025
With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer (Sklenar) embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for adversary 
Adjective
Such sensitive information, along with financial information and private messages, is helpful for adversary intelligence agencies to use as leverage for blackmail or coercion.
—Dan Morse, Alex Horton, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2022
At the same time, Trump's tirades against trade deals with nations like China played into a belief among many people that such pacts had hollowed out the American dream, while building middle classes lives for citizens of adversary nations.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 28 Sep. 2017
Noun
President Biden then rescinded Trump’s executive order but told his administration to prepare recommendations to prevent a foreign adversary, like China, from seizing consumer data from apps like TikTok or WeChat.
—Chloe Albanesius, PCMAG, 19 Jan. 2025
With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer (Sklenar) embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for adversary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversary
Adjective
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Instead, she was hounded out of the classroom by authorities hostile to Western literature.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2025
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Last year, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden fired the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, after an investigation found the official had created a hostile work environment.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some of the soldiers whom Chernov follows into battle remain gung-ho about defeating the enemy, though others, like the filmmaker himself, voice fears that there’s no end in sight.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
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While past presidents were somewhat willing to work with political rivals or enemies, Trump has always put a greater emphasis on loyalty.—
William Gavin,
Quartz,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The defense allowed 414 points, fifth most in the league, and surrendered a touchdown on 67.9% of opponent’s red-zone possessions, the third-worst rate in the NFL.—
Joe Reedy,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
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On their run to the Super Bowl, the last (opponent’s) play of each win in the AFC playoff game was a turnover.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Layering tragedy atop tragedy One of the immediate negative effects of the Marshall Fire was substantial price gouging, which further compounded issues for affected renters such as Christina Eisert.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
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Man told supplier of fake Botox to 'fix this' Luther messaged his supplier in April 2024 and said his clients were suffering negative side effects.—
Saleen Martin,
USA TODAY,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Through the campaign, players will amass points to invest in the skill tree by defeating foes and finishing quests.—
Gieson Cacho,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
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But much of this week has seen the returning president continue to pummel out-of-power foes.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA TODAY,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Apple is less profligate than its rivals in terms of capital expenditures.—
Jonathan Vanian,Jordan Novet,Lora Kolodny,Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2025
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Right-wing figures groused that their views were being hidden, or moderated more heavily than their rivals’.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near adversary
Cite this Entry
“Adversary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversary. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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