opponent
noun
op·po·nent
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Definition of opponent
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: one that takes an opposite position (as in a debate, contest, or conflict)
She is a formidable opponent in the race for senator. opponents of the war
2
: a muscle that opposes or counteracts and limits the action of another
opponent
adjectiveDefinition of opponent (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: antagonistic, opposing
2
: situated in front
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Examples of opponent in a Sentence
Noun
She is a formidable opponent in the race for senator. The team's opponents have not lost a game this season. He knocked out his opponent in the third round.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Just as with the U.S. Open women's final, the opponents had met in the Rogers Cup final. — Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, "US Open: Time, TV, how to watch men's final between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev," 8 Sep. 2019 Then again, this felt like more than that because of the series history, the name of the opponent and the storied location. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "This Ryan Agnew ‘magnificent’ in Aztecs’ historic win against UCLA," 7 Sep. 2019 Two plays later, Sage Hill (1-1) fumbled and Flintridge Prep’s Kevin Ashworth recovered at the opponent’s 15-yard line. — Andrew Campa, Daily Pilot, "Sage Hill football falls to Flintridge Prep, suffers first regular-season loss since 2017," 7 Sep. 2019 This is the first meeting of the year between the two cross-division opponents. — Esten Mclaren, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "BC Lions at Montreal Alouettes odds, predictions, picks and best bets," 6 Sep. 2019 However, after 37 years in power, refusing to step down, that legacy became entwined with violent oppression toward his opponents, which led to him being ousted in a military coup in 2017. — Breanna Edwards, Essence, "Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe Dead At 95," 6 Sep. 2019 Half of the Patriots’ opponents are trying to lose. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Here are the Globe staff’s predictions for the NFL season," 5 Sep. 2019 All seven of the Owls home opponents were bowl-eligible last season. — Glynn A. Hill, Houston Chronicle, "College football preview: Wake Forest at Rice," 5 Sep. 2019 Sam Koch delivered a typically solid season in 2018, putting 45% of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. — Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, "Scouting report for Sunday’s Ravens-Dolphins game," 5 Sep. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
But ex-Invicta champ Felicia Spencer accomplished her goal of making her opponent look human. — Steven Marrocco, MMA Junkie, "UFC 240 results: Cris Cyborg cut, but outworks gritty Felicia Spencer," 28 July 2019 The Colts rank fourth in the NFL in opponent kickoff-return average, a product of Sanchez’s savvy as a kickoff specialist. — Stephen Holder, Indianapolis Star, "Colts' thumbs up, down: Jack Doyle, Jabaal Sheard starred this season," 1 Jan. 2018 The Lady Rams sank 85.7% (6-7) of their free throws and lost a Badgers-opponent season-high 26 turnovers to a season-high 14 steals by SHC. — Spring Hill College Athletics, AL.com, "Spring Hill women continue to roll with 73-46 win over Mobile," 24 Jan. 2018 Milwaukee has cut opponent three-point attempts from 27.4 per game in the first 18 contests to 23.3 in the past seven. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks are on a roll since getting back to basics in Berkeley," 10 Dec. 2017 His style is more along the lines of Floyd Mayweather Jr. — avoid contact, make the opponent look bad and win on points — which, to fans who thrive on continuous action and massive fistic exchanges, does not sit well. — Bob Velin, USA TODAY, "Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux: Historic fight with great expectations," 8 Dec. 2017 Another highlight on the slate is a trip to Tuscon, Ariz., to play Pac-12 opponent Arizona on Dec. 3. — Tod Leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bahamas trip included in schedule for SDSU women's basketball," 9 Aug. 2017 Milpitas was scheduled to host Mission San Jose at SummitPointe Golf Course on Wednesday and to play league opponent Wilcox at Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club on Thursday. — Julian Ramos, The Mercury News, "Milpitas: Trojans baseball tops Branham High," 23 Mar. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opponent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for opponent
opponent
noun
English Language Learners Definition of opponent
: a person, team, group, etc., that is competing against another in a contest
: a person, group, etc., that is against something (such as an action, law, or system) : someone or something that does not want something to exist, be done, etc.
See the full definition for opponent in the English Language Learners Dictionary
opponent
noun
op·po·nent
| \ ə-ˈpō-nənt
\
\
Kids Definition of opponent
: a person or thing that takes an opposite position in a contest, fight, or controversy
opponent
noun
op·po·nent
| \ ə-ˈpō-nənt
\
\
Medical Definition of opponent
: a muscle that opposes or counteracts and limits the action of another
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