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. ClementsExamples 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
The demonstrations have unleashed violent confrontations between dynamite-wielding demonstrators and riot police, leading to at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to authorities.
—ABC News, 20 June 2026
Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
Paraguay held on for the win despite being down to 10 men for the second half when midfielder Milguel Almiron was given a red card in the 48th minute for covering his mouth while in a confrontation with an opponent.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2026
Legal observers from the group were there on May 25 when a confrontation occurred between law enforcement and the manager of Central Diner and Grille in Robinson Township.
—Mamie Bah, CBS News, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
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.
ABC News, 20 June 2026
Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
Paraguay held on for the win despite being down to 10 men for the second half when midfielder Milguel Almiron was given a red card in the 48th minute for covering his mouth while in a confrontation with an opponent.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2026
Legal observers from the group were there on May 25 when a confrontation occurred between law enforcement and the manager of Central Diner and Grille in Robinson Township.
—Mamie Bah, CBS News, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
