opponents

NOUN

person with whom one competes

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adversary aspirant candidate challenger competitor enemy foe opposition player rival

STRONG

antagonist anti assailant bandit bidder con contestant disputant entrant litigant match opposer

WEAK

counteragent dark horse dissentient oppugnant

Antonyms

STRONGEST

ally assistant friend helper

WEAK

associate colleague

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The two other possible quarter-final opponents for England are Ivory Coast and Norway, who will face each other in the last 32.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

Their semi-final opponents will be confirmed on Sunday, with India or South Africa appearing the most likely.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

For much of the match on Friday, Spain lacked better offensive coordination ahead of facing more dangerous opponents in the upcoming do-or-die rounds.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2026

Cape Verde’s first two opponents were former champions Uruguay and Spain—with a population nearly 100 times larger than Cape Verde’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026

It was not long before some opponents of female suffrage deliberately used Victoria Woodhull’s other prominent positions to divert public attention from the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling