frenemy
noun
fren·e·my
ˈfre-nə-mē 
plural frenemies
informal
: a person who is or pretends to be a friend but who is also in some ways an enemy or rival
In Hollywood, everyone has lots of frenemies, usually people who are doing comparatively well at any given moment.—
Pete Clark
Pete ClarkIn an awkward awards ceremony, Phil [Mickelson] and Tiger [Woods] stood on the 18th green together as frenemies. Phil held up the crystal trophy for the tournament title, while Tiger squirreled away a $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup …—Selena Roberts
Selena RobertsExamples of frenemy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here’s a look at some of Season 2’s upcoming episodes — including the return of O’Brien’s staff frenemy Jordan Schlansky.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Haynes was recruited by her former Big Brother Reindeer Games frenemy to become a Traitor in an ultimatum at the beginning of the show’s penultimate episode.
—Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025
Her first order of business is inviting her frenemy to be her maid-of-honor in a Capri destination wedding to Italian heir Dante Versano (Michele Morrone).
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Levine was there in the show’s debut season in 2011, slipping into the iconic red chair next to Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and his best frenemy, Blake Shelton.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frenemy
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Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Haynes was recruited by her former Big Brother Reindeer Games frenemy to become a Traitor in an ultimatum at the beginning of the show’s penultimate episode.
—Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025
Her first order of business is inviting her frenemy to be her maid-of-honor in a Capri destination wedding to Italian heir Dante Versano (Michele Morrone).
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Levine was there in the show’s debut season in 2011, slipping into the iconic red chair next to Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and his best frenemy, Blake Shelton.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frenemy
Cite this Entry
“Frenemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frenemy. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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