1
as in vigilante
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
Batman is the Joker's main nemesis and always foils his wicked plots
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
social ostracism was once society's nemesis for those who defied its sexual mores
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
irrationality is the nemesis of democracy, for good government depends upon the wisdom of the electorate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nemesis
For endurance and adventure athletes, heat often feels like a universal nemesis.
—
Brad Stulberg, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Related Stories Essiedu is set to play potions master Snape — one of Potter’s nemeses — in the upcoming streaming adaptation, a role previously played by Alan Rickman.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
And while fans and teammates have embraced their former nemesis, his recent streak of three goals in two games have also produced memories of past April anguish.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
Penn, in the film, played the evil nemesis of DiCaprio's Bob Ferguson.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Brad Stulberg, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Related Stories Essiedu is set to play potions master Snape — one of Potter’s nemeses — in the upcoming streaming adaptation, a role previously played by Alan Rickman.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
And while fans and teammates have embraced their former nemesis, his recent streak of three goals in two games have also produced memories of past April anguish.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
Penn, in the film, played the evil nemesis of DiCaprio's Bob Ferguson.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
Noun
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Vigilante groups under scrutiny On the increase since 2023, vigilante groups like the Jean Denis Coalition are increasingly coming under scrutiny.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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Around 2023, vigilante groups began to emerge in the Caribbean nation to strike back against gangs sucking the life from Haiti.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But when the people responsible are caught, some are already hoping for the worst punishment possible.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
2 Apr. 2026
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But that behavior and actions cause for some type of punishment.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the beginning of her music career, Jordan was (rightfully) hailed as a prodigy—a blessing and a curse.—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
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Meeting Rachel’s parents and getting that backstory leads her into discovering this family curse.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But as all the world knows, Edmond Dantès did rise again, transformed from an innocent young sailor into that courtly yet implacable avenger, the Count of Monte Cristo.—
Michael Dirda,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
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And it was signed, black dahlia avenger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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My refusal to accept his drinking has led him to cast his wrath upon me on occasion.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
31 Mar. 2026
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Mullin will also face congressional Democrats’ wrath as lawmakers on Capitol Hill have already begun to investigate DHS for the massive contracts to individuals and companies that were inexperienced, had connections to Noem’s staff, or contained other irregularities.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Political instability has been a bane, with 32 governments taking office since 1990 and none of them completing a five-year term.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
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Elias Lindholm took an offensive zone tripping penalty – O-zone stick fouls have been the bane of the B’s season – and the Sabres cashed in on the power play.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The city agreed, reducing maximum e-bike speeds to 15 mph on city trails, prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks and imposing penalties.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Jackets took another penalty with 41 seconds left and the B’s tied it with 11 seconds left in regulation.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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