How to Use opposite in a Sentence

opposite

1 of 4 adjective
Definition of oppositenext
Synonyms for oppositenext
  • The two boys lived on opposite sides of the street.
  • Fold the bottom right corner of the paper over to the opposite corner.
  • They represent opposite sides of the issue.
  • The two scientists had the same information but reached opposite conclusions.
  • They ran in opposite directions.
  • At the same time, bring the opposite arm across the body.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 3 Jan. 2024
  • Then tie up a line to the center of the opposite side of the tarp.
    — Popular Science, 28 May 2020
  • Scan your phone across the frame and tap the opposite end.
    — Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2022
  • Be sure to flip the item and repeat on the opposite side.
    — Sarah Ball, PEOPLE.com, 14 May 2020
  • How does the shrapnel from this hit me on the opposite side of the head?
    — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, 15 May 2018
  • Get to know some of those on the opposite sides of the age spectrum.
    — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 24 July 2021
  • Just align the piece with a hole on the opposite end of the board, and you'll be set.
    — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, 12 Sep. 2018
  • That should help clear a path to the quarterback for the opposite side of the field.
    — Scott Patsko, cleveland, 23 Mar. 2021
  • Trump was very much on the opposite end of the spectrum.
    — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 29 June 2017
  • Your back heel is close to the opposite side with the toes pointing out.
    — Tovin Lapan, SFChronicle.com, 14 May 2020
  • Two plays were run on one end of the field and then the teams switched to the opposite end for the next session.
    — Erick Smith, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2021
  • But on the opposite side, there are guys that have failed.
    — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, 16 June 2019
  • On the opposite side of the road, wooden stakes fence the border.
    — Teddy Amenabar, Washington Post, 11 July 2022
  • Repeat on the other side with the opposite arm and leg.
    — Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 21 June 2023
  • Rest one hand on a flat bench and row with your opposite hand.
    — Jenny McCoy, SELF, 23 Oct. 2023
  • Turn the duck breast around and score in the opposite direction.
    — Talia Abbas, SELF, 6 Dec. 2018
  • Young people are at the opposite end of the risk spectrum.
    — Ben Carlson, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2021
  • The lawyers on opposite sides of this case do not seem to like each other.
    — Dan Alexander, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
  • Return to start and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
    — Macaela MacKenzie, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2023
  • Do the same with second egg, adding to opposite side of pan.
    — Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12 July 2018
  • Then, pick up the hand on the opposite side of the bag and reach underneath your body.
    — Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2020
  • His biggest kick came on the opposite side of the field where all the seats are painted blue.
    — Stefan Krajisnik, Indianapolis Star, 1 Sep. 2019
  • Make a small knot in the one end of your thread, and thread the opposite end through your needle.
    — Beka Garris, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2020
  • But at opposite ends of the spectrum, the two converge.
    — Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2020
  • On the opposite end of the room, three arched doorways lead to a dining area.
    — Mary Grace Granados, Dallas News, 31 Dec. 2020
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opposite

2 of 4 noun
  • The terms “black” and “white” are opposites.
  • And last year was one of those that was kind of the opposite.
    — Todd Rosiak, Journal Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2023
  • All of this was the opposite of what the blockchain was supposed to be.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, WIRED, 18 June 2018
  • That was the opposite of what this show was going to be.
    — Lorraine Alitelevision Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2022
  • My wife feels just the opposite, and will not tell them.
    — Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2019
  • So that song is sort of the opposite of rocking in hell.
    — Tom Lanham, SPIN, 27 Jan. 2022
  • Fruit is the opposite of cake, and never the twain shall mix.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2021
  • Yet quite the opposite came to pass, even amid the omicron surge.
    — Marley Marius, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2022
  • To me, then and now, this is the opposite of being a waif.
    — Catherine Cusick, Longreads, 6 Mar. 2018
  • But then, of course, the rewrite process is the opposite of that.
    — James Hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 June 2018
  • Quite the opposite: The work to be done is hard and long-term.
    — Michael Kimmage, The New Republic, 9 June 2021
  • What happens most of the time in real life is the opposite.
    — Csaba Toth, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
  • Do the same with a farmers market, and the opposite is true.
    — Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 29 Aug. 2023
  • The look is the opposite of the styles that Perry has shown us so far this year.
    — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 29 May 2019
  • On the other hand, some who tried the drink posted quite the opposite.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2022
  • To move backward, do the opposite, but bend your legs at the knees.
    — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, 5 Mar. 2019
  • The leaves smelled dead in that very pungent way that is almost the opposite of death.
    — Lisa Taddeo, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2020
  • For Gilbert, the night was in some ways the opposite of his debut.
    — Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 20 Aug. 2021
  • Those who have done the math have, indeed, found the opposite.
    — David M. Simon, National Review, 24 Feb. 2023
  • Shots at chukars are the opposite of most shots at flushing birds.
    — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 21 Sep. 2020
  • And then her protege is the one that takes her down, as opposed to the opposite.
    — Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 11 June 2023
  • And when the rising sun headed back north, the opposite was true.
    — Steven Austad, AL.com, 28 Apr. 2018
  • Gotta have opposites, dark and light, light and dark in a painting.
    — Julia Lyon, Washington Post, 13 July 2018
  • The two skiers’ senior seasons turned out to be quite the opposite.
    — Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Feb. 2023
  • The message in this book, and so many others like it, was the opposite.
    — Meaghan O'Connell, Longreads, 10 Apr. 2018
  • In fact, quite the opposite — this pair of hues is glamorous and bold any time of year.
    — Kami Phillips, PEOPLE.com, 31 Oct. 2017
  • But in sports, the streaming gold rush has largely done the opposite.
    — Alex Kirshner, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2022
  • At their very best, jokes are the opposite of gas-lighting.
    — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, 18 Aug. 2017
  • But what if that, too, is the exact opposite of what works?
    — Nanette Kirsch, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2021
  • But this isn’t always true, and, in fact, the truth is more like the opposite.
    — Michael Johnston, The New Yorker, 14 July 2022
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opposite

3 of 4 adverb
  • I sat down and he sat opposite.
  • To work opposite of those queens was just a dream come true.
    — Robyn Mowatt, ELLE, 22 June 2023
  • Dig your elbow into the floor, opposite to the leg that is on the foam roller.
    — Jon-Erik Kawamoto, Outside Online, 23 Mar. 2021
  • There is no way that a group of people that thinks opposite of that could fill up a space like that.
    — Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2022
  • In many cases, the exact opposite turned out to be true.
    — Tom Nunan, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2021
  • The chair opposite is covered in the same fabric that filled her childhood home.
    — Anna Logan, House Beautiful, 7 May 2021
  • It’s morning, and the smell of cardamom drifts over from the bakery opposite.
    — Johanna Ekström, The New Yorker, 22 July 2021
  • Green lives opposite from red on the color wheel, so the former cancels out the latter.
    — Rachel Nussbaum, Glamour, 16 Oct. 2018
  • Ms. Cook had her come over to her and asked her to sit opposite, so their knees could touch.
    — Ed Stockly, latimes.com, 19 Aug. 2017
  • In that great front gallery of the chateau overlooking the gardens, the long back wall of mirrors reflects the views through the windows opposite.
    — Joseph Giovannini, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2016
  • Both teams’ fans sat in bleachers opposite of the Crenshaw press box.
    — Eric Sondheimer Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2021
  • The iPhone’s camera, staged opposite to the funnel, captured the show.
    — Megan Molteni, Wired, 12 Aug. 2020
  • She’s like Phoebe from Friends but the freaking opposite!
    — Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2021
  • This was, if not the exact opposite, then not quite as straightforward as that.
    — Anne Lagamayo, CNN, 26 July 2021
  • That means someone else will have to step in to the right cornerback spot opposite Sherman.
    — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, 15 June 2017
  • On the walls opposite, at the same size and the same height, was a circle with the pre-Hispanic symbols.
    — Fernanda Pesce, ajc, 7 Oct. 2022
  • Be unafraid to follow your heart after doing the exact opposite for far too long.
    — Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 28 Mar. 2022
  • The top of the mirror now stretches about eight feet from the floor, reflecting glints of golden sunlight from the bay window opposite.
    — Susanne Fowler, House Beautiful, 15 Mar. 2021
  • The custom art is only available to be added to one side of each product opposite of the Stanley logo.
    — Josie Howell | Jhowell@al.com, al, 23 June 2023
  • Bond yields move opposite to bond prices which means that rising yields are tough on bullish bond speculators.
    — Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2021
  • The rookie played the outside corner spot opposite Delvin Breaux.
    — Larry Holder, NOLA.com, 15 June 2017
  • But The Times’s review shows that the officers did the exact opposite, over and over.
    — Natalie Reneau, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2023
  • This play could also be designed to run opposite with a slant by Emmanuel Sanders.
    — Jeff Nowak, NOLA.com, 9 Oct. 2020
  • That was one of the great things to play opposite [of] Jason Segel and Adrien Brody.
    — J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 27 Mar. 2022
  • Even if the polish colors lie opposite of each on the color wheel, a transition polish can balance it out.
    — Chelsea Avila, Allure, 16 Oct. 2022
  • There are a lot of young players who have potential that are going to battle for a starting spot opposite Fuller.
    — Tim Bielik, cleveland.com, 29 Jan. 2018
  • Further, putting it opposite a focal point draws one's gaze across a room and invites movement into it.
    — Dan Diclerico, ELLE Decor, 8 Nov. 2005
  • As an adult, Todd vowed to be his father’s opposite, to share his love for his closest friends and his children.
    — Ken Budd, Washington Post, 10 May 2021
  • In a move opposite to what TV is used to seeing, a streaming series is making the move to broadcast.
    — Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Sep. 2022
  • The men stand opposite in Levi’s jeans, Pendleton vests, bowler hats and bolo ties.
    — Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 May 2022
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opposite

4 of 4 preposition
  • The school is opposite a park.
  • I played opposite the best player in the league.
  • She lives in the house opposite ours.
  • She stars opposite Clint Eastwood in her latest movie.
  • Put the pork on the grill on the side opposite the fire.
    — Marian Bull, GQ, 27 June 2018
  • They are located at the top of the cabins on the two long sides and on the wall opposite of the door.
    — Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, 26 Sep. 2019
  • In the tea room, her glance meets the eyes of a woman seating opposite her.
    — Sheena Scott, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021
  • The dining room has one wooden wall and a tile wall opposite it.
    — Lauren Beale, latimes.com, 9 July 2018
  • The kids have moved all the desks from the classrooms into the yard, opposite the soccer field.
    — Caterina Clerici & Eléonore Hamelin, Marie Claire, 1 Feb. 2019
  • Jalen Mills will start, though the spot opposite him is up for grabs.
    — Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 16 July 2022
  • First, prune off the small branch opposite the wound, and the other small limb just above it.
    — oregonlive, 10 Sep. 2023
  • Part your hair to one side and bring the rest of it over your shoulder, opposite the side of your hair part.
    — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 18 July 2023
  • Using the fat part of your palm, smack the bottom tin opposite the tightest part of the seal.
    — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, 26 Apr. 2018
  • Noah had been sitting on the side of the bus opposite the impact, and was unscathed.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, CNN, 4 Nov. 2017
  • For a carefree finish, pull a few strands free on the side opposite the braid.
    — Seventeen, 5 June 2012
  • Which just so happened to be opposite the strip club and my old apartment.
    — Krysty Wilson-Cairns, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2021
  • The only light is this lamp opposite her door, where now the police begin to stack.
    — New York Times, 29 Dec. 2020
  • Be sure to check the fridge opposite the bar for bottles that are available to go or for drinking on site.
    — John Verive, latimes.com, 4 Apr. 2018
  • Make certain the two notched pieces are opposite each other.
    — Christopher Michel, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2020
  • Push a bottle cap onto the end of the skewer opposite the first bottle cap.
    — Ben Finio, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2019
  • That’s the size of the scope’s bell—the end opposite the eyepiece—and the bigger the number, the bigger the bell.
    — T. Logan Metesh, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
  • Many stand at river’s edge opposite the falls and let its cool mist wash over them.
    — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 15 Mar. 2020
  • After two hours, a red-and-green macaw perched on a tree opposite us.
    — Nell Zink, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
  • The sand would be put on a barge by Bar Beach opposite the harbor.
    — Recode Staff, Recode, 22 Mar. 2018
  • In the course of it, the Israelis fired a missile at the building opposite my wife’s house.
    — National Geographic, 23 Dec. 2017
  • Moore would be a nice fit opposite a healthy Michael Thomas.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2021
  • The door opposite the apartment was pock-marked with bullet holes.
    — Bianca Padró Ocasio, OrlandoSentinel.com, 13 June 2018
  • The moon is opposite Mars Mars rules our will and actions and the moon rules our emotions.
    — Emily Newhouse, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023
  • Near the kitchen is a formal dining room with a butler’s pantry and a media room opposite that.
    — Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 12 July 2023
  • And out strode the real-life Warwick, who sat down in a chair opposite her.
    — Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opposite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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