confrontation

noun

con·fron·ta·tion | \ ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən

Definition of confrontation

: 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

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Other Words from confrontation

confrontational \ ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shnəl ,

-shə-nᵊl \ adjective

confrontationalist \ ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nə-list

\ noun

confrontationist \ ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nist

\ 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

His brother, Stevante, gained national attention for his response to the tragedy — specifically for a confrontation at a Sacramento City Council meeting. — Lincoln Anthony Blades, Teen Vogue, "Stevante Clark is Running for Mayor of Sacramento," 3 Jan. 2019 In 1986, after a public confrontation with a superior, Steyer launched his hedge fund in San Francisco and got married. — Rob Haskell, Vogue, "Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer on Impeaching Trump, Getting Out the Vote, and Winning in 2020," 14 Nov. 2018 Suspicions were finally confirmed on the November 9 show, after another confrontation between Luis and Danny. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "'Blue Bloods' Finally Revealed the Truth About Linda Reagan's Death," 12 Nov. 2018 The woman was taken into custody for two counts of battery/domestic violence and two counts of disorderly conduct for confrontations in the 3900 block of East Van Norman Avenue. — Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "South Milwaukee woman got into fights, bit boyfriend while holding her infant son, complaint says," 2 July 2018 The party’s liberal base is eager for a confrontation over any Trump nominee. — Massimo Calabresi, Time, "With Justice Kennedy Gone, It's Trump's Court Now," 28 June 2018 India, a giant neighbour that has in the past waded in to uphold constitutional norms, and which is anxious about growing Chinese influence, has shown no appetite for confrontation. — The Economist, "Democracy is foundering in the Maldives," 21 June 2018 Hines-Brim did not attend Tuesday's commission meeting, where Black Lives Matter activists wore ashes on their foreheads to honor her niece a week after the confrontation. — Cindy Chang, latimes.com, "LAPD chief obtains temporary restraining order against woman after alleged ash-throwing incident," 17 May 2018 And the six incidents do not account for Russell Westbrook’s altercations with fans in Salt Lake City during the first-round playoff series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz, or for the latest high-profile confrontation. — Josh Peter, USA TODAY, "Drake was the latest to trade barbs with an NBA player. Are fans taking heckling too far?," 2 May 2018

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