1
as in foe
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 enemy
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
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Recent Examples of opponent
The announcement sent shockwaves through the football community, forcing the nine teams on Parker’s 11-man schedule to scramble for games and the Lancers looking for 8-man opponents.
—
John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
The rules are simple – a random contestant challenges an adjoining opponent in a quiz duel.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
His appearance Wednesday drew a crowd of vocal opponents.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2025
His ability to box out an opponent for a rebound is something he’s carried to the football field with jump balls.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
The rules are simple – a random contestant challenges an adjoining opponent in a quiz duel.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
His appearance Wednesday drew a crowd of vocal opponents.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2025
His ability to box out an opponent for a rebound is something he’s carried to the football field with jump balls.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
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Their problems don’t stop there, as in the process, several other foes are released, including a demon and a werewolf.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, the mayor’s top foe on the 13-seat commission, blasted Levine Cava’s recent reveal of a budget situation that is less dire than first presented.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Hardy from the Griffith Institute of Criminology says researchers are studying how police can deescalate interactions with sovereign citizens, who may view them as frontline enemies.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
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With many of the biggest rappers stateside on Drake’s enemies list, he’s seemingly found a wealth of inspiration across the pond.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The company has quickly fallen behind rivals like Walmart, Amazon and Costco.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
20 Aug. 2025
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Multiple investigations and reports, including a bipartisan effort by the Senate Intelligence Committee, have found that Russia did indeed meddle in the 2016 election to help Trump defeat his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Her concern is less about keeping pace with an adversary, more about shaping a collaborator.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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While the base offers the security needed for such a summit, there are concerns over the optics of the head of state of an American adversary, visiting a U.S. military base.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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