as in head-to-head
in direct confrontation or competition
the two brothers decided to go mano a mano in one final match to determine who was the better tennis player
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mano a mano
Zoë survived two blasts and one mano a mano confrontation with Beelzebub!
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Though neither is exactly a revelation — in the sense that these talents were revealed long ago — each gets space for menacing monologues and mano a mano match-ups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Surreal and dreamlike vignettes, and some laugh out loud moments of levity, break up mano a mano scenes in that hut that test the intensity of Bean and Day-Lewis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mano a mano
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Though neither is exactly a revelation — in the sense that these talents were revealed long ago — each gets space for menacing monologues and mano a mano match-ups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Surreal and dreamlike vignettes, and some laugh out loud moments of levity, break up mano a mano scenes in that hut that test the intensity of Bean and Day-Lewis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mano a mano
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mano a mano
Adverb
-
Teams of friends and families will go head-to-head in a test of boat building in the great outdoors during an annual Central Florida event.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The race for another Board of Review seat will be a head-to-head match rather than uncontested after county officials ruled incumbent Commissioner George Cardenas was safe on the ballot.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Online retailers with lower overhead typically offer better pricing than brick-and-mortar stores, though the latter provide immediate possession and face-to-face transactions that some buyers value.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
National networks, for their part, have produced news-magazine shows that specialize in filming similarly dramatic face-to-face encounters.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
In Season 2, expect Pine to confront those feelings head-on, thanks to another likeminded arms dealer and alluring femme fatale who put him in the crosshairs again.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
State police are investigating a fatal head-on crash involving dump truck in Oxford on Thursday morning.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
