as in foes
one that is hostile toward another
a beloved minister with no known enemies
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Recent Examples of enemies
Water and sunlight are the two primary enemies of wood.
—
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Or douse it straight into the soups of thine enemies.
—Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Feb. 2026
If a terrorist group attacked America, the public would demand that the military violently destroy the country’s enemies.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
The Florida heat only turns up the temperature for these two enemies turned co-workers, but is there a future of cool bliss?
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
An acronym for Size, Activity, Location, Uniform, Time, Equipment, SALUTE is a mnemonic device that typically instructs soldiers how to systematically track details about enemies.
—Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Faucets and Plumbing Fixtures Put simply, water and friction are paint’s worst enemies.
—Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Or douse it straight into the soups of thine enemies.
—Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Feb. 2026
If a terrorist group attacked America, the public would demand that the military violently destroy the country’s enemies.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
The Florida heat only turns up the temperature for these two enemies turned co-workers, but is there a future of cool bliss?
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
An acronym for Size, Activity, Location, Uniform, Time, Equipment, SALUTE is a mnemonic device that typically instructs soldiers how to systematically track details about enemies.
—Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Faucets and Plumbing Fixtures Put simply, water and friction are paint’s worst enemies.
—Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enemies
Noun
-
The Hungarian midfielder had looked set to bask in the glory of being Liverpool’s match-winner against old foes Manchester City at Anfield.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Joe Schoen is on the verge of handing a Super Bowl to back-to-back NFC foes if the Seattle Seahawks topple the New England Patriots Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As the skaters were coming back toward the line, Stoddard fell and took out three of her opponents.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In the modern game, where so much emphasis out of possession is on forcing opponents wide and stopping them from playing through the middle of the pitch, space often opens up on the flanks.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enemies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enemies. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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