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
Irons will play one of the film's antagonists, the leader of a secret order called the Watchers who keep an eye on immortals, viewing them as a threat to humanity.
—
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Practical effects are scarce, and the game’s notorious array of Cronenberg-like antagonists have been mostly drained of their trademark physicality.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Additional guest stars include Holt McCallany as the Titan Atlas, one of the major antagonists from The Titan's Curse.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Beta blockers, or beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists, are a class of drugs that lower blood pressure and heart rate.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Nonetheless, Liuzzo’s death—and, specifically, the fact that the movement’s antagonists were willing to kill a white woman—pointed to a broader conclusion.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
To build both a better Iran and a safer world, Tehran and its antagonists will need to find a way out of this spiral.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Edie Falco as General Francis Ardmore Joining the cast in The Way of Water, Edie Falco will reprise her role as General Francis Ardmore, one of the antagonists who continues fighting the Na’vi on Pandora, hoping to create a permanent home for humans on the planet.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
The protagonist is terrifying, and the antagonists are a supernatural evil.
—Anthony Jeselnik, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Practical effects are scarce, and the game’s notorious array of Cronenberg-like antagonists have been mostly drained of their trademark physicality.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Additional guest stars include Holt McCallany as the Titan Atlas, one of the major antagonists from The Titan's Curse.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Beta blockers, or beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists, are a class of drugs that lower blood pressure and heart rate.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Nonetheless, Liuzzo’s death—and, specifically, the fact that the movement’s antagonists were willing to kill a white woman—pointed to a broader conclusion.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
To build both a better Iran and a safer world, Tehran and its antagonists will need to find a way out of this spiral.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Edie Falco as General Francis Ardmore Joining the cast in The Way of Water, Edie Falco will reprise her role as General Francis Ardmore, one of the antagonists who continues fighting the Na’vi on Pandora, hoping to create a permanent home for humans on the planet.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
The protagonist is terrifying, and the antagonists are a supernatural evil.
—Anthony Jeselnik, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonists
Noun
-
The governments of Israel and Iran have long considered each other arch enemies, and most Israelis reserve their ire for the regime in Tehran.—
Seyed Rahim Bathaei,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
His private character came under fire at key moments in his nation’s early history, conditioning his attitude toward political enemies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For the second time this season, the Sea View League opponents provided a nail-biter.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The book begins with a familiar spark, a rescue, but Wells wanted to push the setting into something stronger and tougher to move through, eventually coming up with another unique sci-fi setting that Murderbot and its friends can navigate while encountering friends, foes and more eye contact.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The Seahawks and Rams will follow them in the NFC Conference Championship, a rubber match between these NFC West foes.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Mich -- Mila Holloway scored a career-high 26 points to help Michigan outlast Michigan State in overtime in the rivals' first matchup with both teams ranked in the top 15 of The Associated Press women's college basketball poll.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
In early May, with United due to host arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League during a time in which Covid-19 restrictions meant fans were not allowed into stadiums, supporters plotted a huge protest around one of the most high-profile fixtures in English football.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The uploads raised concerns inside DHS because the agency oversees federal cyber defense against foreign adversaries, including Russia and China.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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An officer in the video explained that the Yemeni Armed Forces deliberately targeted the vessel in the Gulf of Aden, aiming to send a message to adversaries that locations in the area were within the forces’ reach.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Antagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonists. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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