confrontation

noun

con·​fron·​ta·​tion ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce confrontation (audio)
: the act of confronting : the state of being confronted: such as
a
: a face-to-face meeting
a confrontation between the suspect and the victim
b
: the clashing of forces or ideas : conflict
a violent confrontation between rival gangs
c
: comparison
The flashbacks bring into meaningful confrontation present and past, near and far.R. J. Clements
confrontational adjective
confrontationist noun or adjective

Examples of confrontation in a Sentence

There were several violent confrontations between rival gangs. He would prefer not to have a confrontation with the authorities. a series of confrontations between residents and police We want cooperation, not confrontation. We seek to avoid military confrontation at all costs.
Recent Examples on the Web Despite their imposing size, black bears are generally shy and prefer to avoid confrontation with humans. Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 The emotional confrontation — which was particularly poignant as Stephen had previously admitted to doing something similar in a past relationship while in the pods with Monica — ultimately ended with Stephen apologizing for his actions, Monica breaking down in tears and the two breaking up. Joelle Goldstein, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024 None of the candidates who spoke to NBC News said confrontations like those dampened their political ambitions. Isabela Espadas Barros Leal, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024 And healing does abide with this little family, without anyone having to address it any further, without emotional confrontations, without anything but time and weather. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confrontation 

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

Word History

Etymology

see confront

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of confrontation was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near confrontation

Cite this Entry

“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation

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