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 Maintaining a safe distance and allowing the snake a clear path to retreat reduces the risk of confrontation. The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024 Security cameras showed the suspect, 40-year-old Dennis Lee, shoving the victim, Wadih Badran, into a pole during a confrontation at the Speedway gas station on East 14th Street near Bancroft Avenue on Feb. 22 around noon. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Still, Liman flexes his stylish direction, especially during the bloody confrontations. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 Now, a woman faces charges for the confrontation, according to police. Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Navalny was not running in the election, but Russian politics had been until recently reduced to a Navalny-Putin confrontation. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024 The altercation started as a verbal confrontation between two juveniles who were waiting for the school bus, though police said the matter quickly escalated into a physical confrontation with an adult family member of one of the juveniles instigating the fight. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 The robot's cameras allow for face-to-face communication between law enforcement and individuals without the risk of in-person confrontation. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 The Kremlin, for its part, has often responded to Western actions with provocative threats of confrontation, including regularly reminding its adversaries of its nuclear arsenal. Paul Sonne, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024

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.

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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