adversaries

noun

plural of adversary
1
as in enemies
one that is hostile toward another our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary

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2
as in opponents
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict our adversaries in tomorrow's meet are from one of the top schools in the league

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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 adversaries Plainly, companies in China and other adversaries such as Iran, North Korea, and Russia should be fair game. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 Today, drone technology is creating a similar dynamic, helping weaker adversaries narrow the strategic advantages that major powers — including the United States — have long enjoyed. — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 The Anatomy Of Multichannel Deception Why are adversaries finding such fertile ground across mobile messaging and voice channels? — Firas Azmeh, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, one of Bolsonarism’s main adversaries, has become a central figure in the scandal. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 Clayton previously told the Wall Street Journal that his focus is on America leading in the AI field against adversaries. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026 External signals can become unreliable when adversaries disrupt navigation or communications. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversaries
  1. enemies
  2. opponents
  3. foes
  4. rivals
Noun
  • But unlike other Floridians of Cuban descent — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio — Valdes ended up defending Cuba’s socialist revolutionaries and officials who have killed, jailed, tortured, and censored numerous political enemies.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Other paths, however, decrease the number of enemies (decrement), and still other areas can open a passage when there are no more enemies (jump-if-zero).
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • Guys will make a mistake that will lead to busted assignments, penalties, big plays for the opponents, if not a touchdown.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Knights have lost two games after opponents came up with one-handed, game-winning catches in the closing seconds, making Friday’s blowout setback a bit of an aberration.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of opponents
Noun
  • But the world might not want another one, and both human foes and spiritual enemies are hunting her.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
  • And their 106 points scored against conference foes is just 69 fewer than last season’s total with seven Big Ten games remaining on the 2026 slate.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of foes
Noun
  • While rivals such as Goldwind have focused on building bigger turbines, Vestas capped its offshore models at around 15 megawatts.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Accusations are flying in Coral Gables ahead of the city’s November election, adding fuel to the already fiery disputes on the dais between Mayor Vince Lago and Commissioner Melissa Castro, political rivals who are both running for reelection.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivals

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Cite this Entry

“Adversaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversaries. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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