Noun
Many considered him a foe of democracy.
Her ability was acknowledged by friend and foe alike.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make at least four changes when his team faces crosstown foe Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 Cathedral has outscored its two regional playoff foes 32-8 overall to reach its second SoCal title contest.—Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025 The covert counterpart of that war is a campaign of subversion spanning the continent, as the Kremlin conducts sabotage and political destabilization operations meant to punish its European foes.—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 The second round for the Redhawks, however, promises to be one versus a Bay State Conference foe in either No. 11 Framingham or No. 22 Brookline.—Matt Feld, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foe
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English fo, from Old English fāh, from fāh, adjective, hostile; akin to Old High German gifēh hostile
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of foe was
before the 12th century
Share