1
as in foes
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 enemies
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 opponents
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
Seahawks backers booed their opponents vociferously and seemed to take an extra bit of pleasure in getting revenge for the debacle of the 2015 Super Bowl.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Locally, however, opponents of the new compressor station have largely framed their case around the local impacts of the project within Brookfield — rather than the larger debate around climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
But the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Sterzik is the leader of the scout team for the Warriors (17-9, 3-6), who undoubtedly will be prepared for the Class 3A playoffs after their challenging schedule against Class 4A opponents in the Central Suburban League South.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The Badgers are 13-11 this season and just 5-8 against Big Ten opponents.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Kravetz’s comments add JFNA, the umbrella organization of hundreds of local Jewish federations in the United States and Canada, to an emerging group of Jewish leaders calling to open dialogue with Jews who have recently taken stands against Israel or in support of its opponents.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Seahawks backers booed their opponents vociferously and seemed to take an extra bit of pleasure in getting revenge for the debacle of the 2015 Super Bowl.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Locally, however, opponents of the new compressor station have largely framed their case around the local impacts of the project within Brookfield — rather than the larger debate around climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
But the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Sterzik is the leader of the scout team for the Warriors (17-9, 3-6), who undoubtedly will be prepared for the Class 3A playoffs after their challenging schedule against Class 4A opponents in the Central Suburban League South.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The Badgers are 13-11 this season and just 5-8 against Big Ten opponents.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Kravetz’s comments add JFNA, the umbrella organization of hundreds of local Jewish federations in the United States and Canada, to an emerging group of Jewish leaders calling to open dialogue with Jews who have recently taken stands against Israel or in support of its opponents.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.
—Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponents
Noun
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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
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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
-
Water and sunlight are the two primary enemies of wood.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
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Or douse it straight into the soups of thine enemies.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Laporta wanted to disassociate himself completely from the project and Barca’s strongest rivals before club members go to the polls.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Celtics entered Sunday with a one-game lead over their Atlantic Division rivals, but the Knicks dominated this matchup, building a 20-point fourth-quarter lead before C’s head coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters with five minutes remaining.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Today's sentencing underscores the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our partners to defending the homeland and holding accountable anyone who tries to subvert the will of American voters at the behest of our adversaries.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Last year, for example, the president openly directed Bondi to go after former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James — two high-profile political adversaries of the president.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Others argue that too-stringent export controls merely hand the market over to Chinese competitors.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Milan-Cortina is not far off with women making up 47% of the competitors slated to attend.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opponents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponents. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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