as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the softball rivals met in an epic confrontation on the last weekend of the summer
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Recent Examples of confrontation
At first, many ordinary Iranians assumed the conflict would be a short confrontation between two governments that was unlikely to affect them.
—
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
No officers were injured in the confrontation, authorities said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2025
There’s also a lot of tension here that’s unfortunately lacking from the rest of the episode, since any confrontation between Charlie and the Iguana will have to wait till next week.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Video of the meeting showed the confrontation began during a confusing moment in the session.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
No officers were injured in the confrontation, authorities said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2025
There’s also a lot of tension here that’s unfortunately lacking from the rest of the episode, since any confrontation between Charlie and the Iguana will have to wait till next week.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Video of the meeting showed the confrontation began during a confusing moment in the session.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
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There’s been a lot of change in college football in recent years, but rivalries still form the foundation of the sport for so many fans.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Adding an element of controversy to what’s been an unusually friendly title rivalry, Piastri even suggested that if McLaren thought the call was unfair, the team could ask him and Norris to swap places to cancel the effect of the penalty.—
James Ellingworth,
Denver Post,
6 July 2025
Noun
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His 2014 film The Grave tells the story of a man who hears about the discovery of a mass grave and escapes from a nursing home to confront his past on the site of the Battle of the Ebro, the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 July 2025
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The battle will continue as Trump has blasted the mainstream media for years and signed an executive order to cut federal funding for National Public Radio and PBS, said U.S. Rep. John B. Larson of East Hartford.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Rivera fired his Taser at Feliz, then got into the car on the passenger’s side and threatened to shoot Rivera as a physical struggle ensued, according to body camera footage, as another officer attempted to yank Feliz out of the vehicle.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
11 July 2025
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Garcia then acknowledged the 15-time major winner's current health struggles.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Noun
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In 2025, that efficiency narrative hit center stage: the NBA Finals featured a dramatic and entertaining duel between two small market NBA teams.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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However, the Pirates-Brewers game features one of the best the pitchers duels of the year with Paul Skenes going up against Jacob Misiorowski.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Their manager, Sarina Wiegman, has an extraordinary record in this competition, having won it with both the Netherlands and England.—
Darren Richman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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As for the women's competition this year, Miki Sudo scored her 11th Nathan's Famous title after downing 33 franks — falling below her 2024 record of 51.—
Logan Holland,
People.com,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite the flare-up, Wedbush technology analyst Dan Ives expects the conflict between Musk and Mr. Trump to die down moving forward.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
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During the recent conflict, the Israeli Air Force demonstrated an impressive capability to reach targets deep inside Iran while relying on its aged Boeing 707 tankers for refueling its fighter jets.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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It is crewed by more than 30 people, including electronic warfare officers and intelligence operators, according to the Air Force.—
Ellie Cook
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
9 July 2025
Noun
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With the Rockies all but mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, the gears may begin to turn on a Márquez deal well before the trade deadline.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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King Charles’ relationship with both of his sons has been a topic of contention as people speculate about the British Royal family.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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