1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another
our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opponents
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 adversaries
Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.
—
Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
In Texas, meanwhile, statehouse lobbyists are outright banned from accepting payments from corporations linked to foreign adversaries.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025
What Happens Next The Justice Department has also launched investigations into several other high-profile Trump adversaries.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Once Lamb finally takes his theory of the case to the Park, too, hitting them with unassailable logic that their Libyan adversaries are turning the tables on them out of revenge for a 2013 coup attempt.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
The Cuban Missile Crisis suggests that leaders sometimes respond more effectively when adversaries stay quiet and that open declarations of intent, paradoxically, can make governments more likely to dismiss threats as posturing.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
In recent years, the alliance has sought to be more transparent about nuclear exercises to reassure the public and partners while deterring potential adversaries.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
The case has raised concerns about a president using the justice system against his adversaries.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
In December, the intelligence community updated its assessment to note that two unnamed agencies believed foreign adversaries may have developed technology that could be responsible for the symptoms experienced in some cases.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
In Texas, meanwhile, statehouse lobbyists are outright banned from accepting payments from corporations linked to foreign adversaries.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025
What Happens Next The Justice Department has also launched investigations into several other high-profile Trump adversaries.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Once Lamb finally takes his theory of the case to the Park, too, hitting them with unassailable logic that their Libyan adversaries are turning the tables on them out of revenge for a 2013 coup attempt.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
The Cuban Missile Crisis suggests that leaders sometimes respond more effectively when adversaries stay quiet and that open declarations of intent, paradoxically, can make governments more likely to dismiss threats as posturing.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
In recent years, the alliance has sought to be more transparent about nuclear exercises to reassure the public and partners while deterring potential adversaries.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
The case has raised concerns about a president using the justice system against his adversaries.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
In December, the intelligence community updated its assessment to note that two unnamed agencies believed foreign adversaries may have developed technology that could be responsible for the symptoms experienced in some cases.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversaries
Noun
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Lower courts have ruled Trump overstepped his authority under a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Price, a former Navy man, is conveying the exhaustion of Black sailors and soldiers in a military that continues to enshrine—most recently, in the names of Army bases—its Confederate enemies.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Welbeck, who has four goals in his last three games, is an expert at dragging opponents out of position.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Those moves all paid off in the form of a dominant regular season and a playoffs which saw Oklahoma City race past most of its opponents, eventually beating the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals in seven games to secure the franchise’s first title since moving from Seattle in 2008.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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So Florida divided up the region between coaches, struggling to maintain consistency against a growing number of more aggressive foes.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
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The fans reveled in the rally, the thrashing of Goliath, the awareness that this World Series pitted two foes who belonged on the same field.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The company behind the iconic Roomba robotic vacuum has been watching its stock progressively slide since 2021 as its early success was overrun by stiff competition from Chinese rivals Anker, Ecovacs, and Roborock.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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Novo Nordisk is developing a new obesity drug that clinical trials suggest rivals Zepbound in effectiveness, and Eli Lilly is testing a drug that could end up being even more effective than the current products on the market.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adversaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversaries. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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