Collocations for "enemy"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "enemy" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
enemy
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.n
- a [political, professional, sporting] enemy
- a [strong, powerful, fierce] enemy
- is an invisible enemy
- their [eternal, age-old, oldest, biggest, main] enemy
- [fight, defeat, beat, overcome, conquer, face] the enemy
- [stop, halt, prevent] the advance of the enemy
- the enemy is advancing [on, towards]
- halt the [path, progress, cavalry] of the enemy
- attacked the enemy at [dawn, dusk, night]
- cut the enemy off at the [pass, bridge, border]
- the enemy [struck, attacked, ambushed]
- accused of [spying for, working for, colluding with] the enemy
- tried for [siding, cooperating, working] with the enemy
- the enemy's [positions, strategies, resources, ammunition]
- the enemy's [soldiers, defenses, weapons, troops, tanks]
- [several, many] among the enemy were [killed, captured, imprisoned]
- the enemy sustained [heavy, severe, insurmountable] losses
- the enemy was [lurking, waiting, hiding] in
- the enemy launched [rockets, missiles, grenades] (at)
- idiom: is in bed with the enemy
- enemies of the [government, state, leadership]
- enemies of [freedom, democracy, decency, morality]
- [drinking, gambling, arrogance] is his worst enemy
- idiom: you are your own worst enemy
- shot down an enemy [jet, fighter, plane]
- [captured, took] enemy prisoners
- fought back against enemy [attacks, tanks, troops, gunfire]
'enemy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
China
- advance
- aim
- allegiance
- ambush
- appearance
- arch
- arm
- army
- attack
- battle
- beat
- blood
- bomb
- brave
- brief
- capture
- charge
- choice
- clutch
- collaboration
- confront
- conquer
- cool
- crippled
- deceit
- deception
- decoy
- defeat
- defeated
- deplete
- desperate
- destroy
- disposition
- domain
- dominate
- down
- drug
- dwarf
- employ
- encompass
- encounter
- engagement
- entice
- expose
- face
- fearless
- filter
- finish
- fire