1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another
please name the novel's hero and his antagonist
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
his antagonist in the boxing match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of antagonists
Jarrard also mentions the Flood, a parasitic alien species introduced in Combat Evolved that have become recurring antagonists of the franchise.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
The best antagonists ultimately have an incredibly relatable backstory.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
But Hoffman and Sacks have been public antagonists recently, due mostly to their political differences.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
There are endless examples of gerontophobic horror movies with elderly antagonists, but Anything for Jackson takes a more interesting path by keeping Henry and Audrey largely sympathetic.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Bronstein, her every utterance brimming with deadpan passive-aggression, was shrewd to cast herself as one of Linda’s many antagonists.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Known for roles in Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, Giancarlo admits that antagonists have always fascinated him because of their complexity.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Oct. 2025
However, the actor had previously played antagonists in shows such as Lost, Being Human, Dexter, Revolution and The Tomorrow People.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 13 Sep. 2025
On the Dungeon Master side, the book included new organizations, guilds and other element of city life that can be used as allies and antagonists.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
The best antagonists ultimately have an incredibly relatable backstory.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
But Hoffman and Sacks have been public antagonists recently, due mostly to their political differences.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
There are endless examples of gerontophobic horror movies with elderly antagonists, but Anything for Jackson takes a more interesting path by keeping Henry and Audrey largely sympathetic.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Bronstein, her every utterance brimming with deadpan passive-aggression, was shrewd to cast herself as one of Linda’s many antagonists.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Known for roles in Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, Giancarlo admits that antagonists have always fascinated him because of their complexity.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Oct. 2025
However, the actor had previously played antagonists in shows such as Lost, Being Human, Dexter, Revolution and The Tomorrow People.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 13 Sep. 2025
On the Dungeon Master side, the book included new organizations, guilds and other element of city life that can be used as allies and antagonists.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonists
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
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Antagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonists. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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