confrontation
noun
con·fron·ta·tion
ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən 
: 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
R. J. Clements
Synonyms
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
Although most domestic-violence victims who attack or kill their abusers do so amid confrontation, according to Ms. Maguigan’s research, some act preemptively, before the next attack can occur.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Ramona’s confrontation with her ex Roxie Richter (Mae Whitman) takes place in a video store in which the two women careen magically through different movie genres.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
But something in the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation — two peoples located at the nexus of places holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity — imbues the conflict with a peculiarly ferocious charge resistant to every attempt to tame its potency.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Notably, there could be a sequel about Lucy Gray and what happened to her after her confrontation with Snow.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
The summit attempted to revive a deteriorating relationship between the two countries and tamp down risk of an unwanted confrontation.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
What really happened? Nov. 8, 2023 Authorities have still not released information on what happened, but the arrest on suspicion of manslaughter begins to clarify the confrontation between Alnaji and Kessler.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, died from blunt-force head trauma following a confrontation with a counterprotester, amid simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
Xi said in Bali that U.S.-China interactions should be defined by dialogue and win-win cooperation, not confrontation and zero-sum competition.
—Byaamer Madhani, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
Emily Langer, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Ramona’s confrontation with her ex Roxie Richter (Mae Whitman) takes place in a video store in which the two women careen magically through different movie genres.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
But something in the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation — two peoples located at the nexus of places holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity — imbues the conflict with a peculiarly ferocious charge resistant to every attempt to tame its potency.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Notably, there could be a sequel about Lucy Gray and what happened to her after her confrontation with Snow.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
The summit attempted to revive a deteriorating relationship between the two countries and tamp down risk of an unwanted confrontation.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
What really happened? Nov. 8, 2023 Authorities have still not released information on what happened, but the arrest on suspicion of manslaughter begins to clarify the confrontation between Alnaji and Kessler.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, died from blunt-force head trauma following a confrontation with a counterprotester, amid simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
Xi said in Bali that U.S.-China interactions should be defined by dialogue and win-win cooperation, not confrontation and zero-sum competition.
—Byaamer Madhani, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
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.
Phrases Containing confrontation
Dictionary Entries Near confrontation
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation
Nglish: Translation of confrontation for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of confrontation for Arabic Speakers
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