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
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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
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Recent Examples of opponent
As lava flows and steam rises in the background, a representative of each group steps forward to challenge the other, hurling elaborate insults (in subtitled Hawaiian) at their opponent.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
First, opponents argued that the rule was unlawful and that Congress would need to amend the statute to implement the changes proposed by DHS in its rule.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
The same is true of pickleball, where a skilled player with the right paddle can cause problems for an opponent.
—Martin Cizmar, Wired News, 20 July 2025
The Jayhawks won the rebounding battle overall, with 44 to the opponents’ 22.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
First, opponents argued that the rule was unlawful and that Congress would need to amend the statute to implement the changes proposed by DHS in its rule.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
The same is true of pickleball, where a skilled player with the right paddle can cause problems for an opponent.
—Martin Cizmar, Wired News, 20 July 2025
The Jayhawks won the rebounding battle overall, with 44 to the opponents’ 22.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
-
The club’s 48 points are the most league-wide, but fellow Eastern Conference foes Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union aren’t far behind.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
-
President Donald Trump is once again aiming at his usual late-night foes.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
They are professedly based on hunches that the enemy will attack, occupy or conquer at some future time unless the enemy is obliterated.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
24 July 2025
-
Synthetic data becomes a strategic blind spot by creating sameness, and sameness is the enemy of competitive advantage.—
Jēnna Reese,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
In the process, the land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties, and bloody betrayals.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
-
The same could be said for other states threatened by nuclear-armed rivals.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
SSBNs are strong nuclear deterrents as they are expected to survive an adversary’s first strike.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
2 Aug. 2025
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Palantir co-founder and CEO Alex Karp has been a vocal proponent of protecting U.S. interests and joining forces on AI to fend off adversaries.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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