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
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.
But after Israel responded in a relatively muted way, both countries moved on from the confrontation. Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024 Police have not said what the confrontation was about, but according to the documents, Hue allegedly pulled a pistol from his waistband, pointed it at the students and told them to run. Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 The confrontation between the Israelis and pro-Palestinians appeared to be more about Gaza than soccer. Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024 A number of European countries, including Belgium and Slovenia, are concerned that Ukraine joining the military alliance will pull it into direct confrontation with Russia. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confrontation 

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 3 Dec. 2024.

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