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
Like a chameleon, the 5-foot-6 senior has the uncanny ability to adapt to any opponent, game situation or even time of year.
—
Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
For Bukele political opponents, silence is survival.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 26 Feb. 2025
Like the House bill, its text has not yet been released.
DEA hearings on the rescheduling proposal have been delayed by at least three months due to appeals from pro-reform witnesses claiming improper communications between the DEA and certain opponents.
—Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Fresh off helping Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off, Marchand remains a high-end winger who can contribute offensively, kill penalties and, yes, get under an opponent’s skin.
—Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
For Bukele political opponents, silence is survival.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 26 Feb. 2025
Like the House bill, its text has not yet been released.
DEA hearings on the rescheduling proposal have been delayed by at least three months due to appeals from pro-reform witnesses claiming improper communications between the DEA and certain opponents.
—Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Fresh off helping Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off, Marchand remains a high-end winger who can contribute offensively, kill penalties and, yes, get under an opponent’s skin.
—Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opponent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opponent
Noun
-
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make at least four changes when his team faces crosstown foe Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Cathedral has outscored its two regional playoff foes 32-8 overall to reach its second SoCal title contest.—
Glae Thien,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Republicans are comparably less inclined to see it as an enemy than are Americans overall.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Article 2 was the party’s enemies list: the U.S., Europe, NATO, and the United Nations.—
James Verini,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Six years later, Sea started Shopee in Singapore and has since become a regional e-commerce behemoth that now competes against rivals such as ByteDance’s TikTok and Alibaba.—
Jonathan Burgos,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Trump’s rocky relationship with Zelensky goes back five years—to when Trump first held up military assistance Congress had authorized for Ukraine to coerce Zelensky into investigating his political rival Joe Biden.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The tariffs could jolt the global trading system and stoke tensions with allies and adversaries.—
Courtenay Brown,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
-
This could ultimately decide whether AI becomes our greatest ally or an adversary.—
Rupesh Chokshi,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opponent. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share