confront

verb con·front \ kən-ˈfrənt \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Examples: confront in a Sentence

Definition of confront

confronted; confronting; confronts

transitive verb

1 : to face especially in challenge : oppose

confront an enemy

The mayor was confronted by a group of protesters.

2 a : to cause to meet : bring face-to-face

confront a reader with statistics

confronted her with the evidence

b : to meet face-to-face : encounter

confronted the possibility of failure

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confrontal

play \kən-ˈfrən-tᵊl\ noun

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confronter

noun

See confront defined for English-language learners

See confront defined for kids

Examples of confront in a Sentence

They confronted the invaders at the shore.
She confronted him about his smoking.
The country is reluctant to confront its violent past.
The photographs confront the viewer with images of desperate poverty.
I confronted her with the evidence.

Recent Examples of confront from the Web

According to witness testimony, Darwish confronted the men before retreating into his condominium.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Did the 'system' fail mentally ill man who shot 2 San Diego police officers? Some think so," 1 July 2018
Three men confronted the victim, Charles Lamont Brown, 44, and one of them stabbed Brown multiple times in the abdomen before all three men ran off, according to the Facebook post.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Man, 44, stabbed in abdomen Saturday, suspects sought," 30 June 2018
But the single most important challenge leaders must confront is poverty.

— kansascity, "Jean Paul Bradshaw," 30 June 2018
Dash confronted Daniels for $2 million during a Diana Ross show at the Hollywood Bowl last week and issued another lawsuit on Tuesday (June 26).

— Essence.com, "The Quick Read: Joe Jackson Is Spending Final Days Of His Life In Hospital," 27 June 2018
Our leaders must confront the enormous wealth inequality in California, with the most disadvantaged dealing with homelessness, poor schools, food uncertainty and inadequate medical care.

— sacbee, "Antonia Hernandez," 27 June 2018
Last week, protesters confronted Homeland Secretary Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen outside a Mexican restaurant in Washington.

— CBS News, "Sarah Sanders to receive temporary Secret Service protection at home," 26 June 2018
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the officer who first confronted Brown, Joseph Grams, was suspended for two days.

— tom schad, USA TODAY, "Bucks' Sterling Brown on body-cam footage: 'I get mad every time I watch it'," 25 May 2018
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the officer who first confronted Brown in the Walgreens parking lot was suspended two days.

— malika andrews, chicagotribune.com, "Bucks' Sterling Brown on police encounter: 'It shouldn't have led to what it led to'," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confront.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of confront

Middle French confronter to border on, confront, from Medieval Latin confrontare to bound, from Latin com- + front-, frons forehead, front

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1568

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

confront Synonyms

Phrases

stand up to;

CONFRONT Defined for English Language Learners

confront

verb

Definition of confront for English Language Learners

: to oppose or challenge (someone) especially in a direct and forceful way
: to directly question the action or authority of (someone)
: to deal with (something, such as a problem or danger); especially : to deal with (something) in an honest and direct way