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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of opponent
That includes putting moves on opponents for jump shots, hitting far-out threes, and even pulling off four-point plays.
—
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Atkinson was known for his fierce play on the field and delivering some of the biggest hits to his opponents.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The developer of a controversial affordable housing project in Penryn — as well as opponents of the project — have taken their complaints to the Placer County Board of Supervisors.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There’s a post-match debrief as well as a meeting about the next opponents.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Atkinson was known for his fierce play on the field and delivering some of the biggest hits to his opponents.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The developer of a controversial affordable housing project in Penryn — as well as opponents of the project — have taken their complaints to the Placer County Board of Supervisors.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There’s a post-match debrief as well as a meeting about the next opponents.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Mike McLusky may be top dog but power can only be maintained by continuing to instill fear in his enemies.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
-
LeBare was awarded two Purple Heart medals for his actions against the enemy.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
American has fallen behind large rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in the post-Covid luxury travel boom that has taken Seoul spa vacations and 40th birthday bashes abroad out of the chat and armed millions of consumers with high-end rewards credit cards.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Analysts say his intervention stopped escalating hostilities, though tensions persist in what remains a fragile, ongoing cold conflict between the longtime regional rivals.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 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,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share