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
Manuals have been updated to direct members of ICE Watch patrols to avoid direct confrontation with law enforcement authorities, but the back-room message has been to instigate confrontations that can then be filmed and turned into propaganda for the effort.
—Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
As Operation Metro Surge got into full swing earlier this month, more than 3,000 federal immigration agents flooded into Minnesota, carrying out sweeping detentions and facing off with protesters in tense confrontations.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
The whole episode works up to Dorit and Amanda’s confrontation at Dorit and Erika’s birthday dinner.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The rhetoric from Washington and Tehran — and US military deployments, including the recent arrival of aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East — appears to signal confrontation, and many airlines have canceled flights to the Gulf over the past week.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
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Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
As Operation Metro Surge got into full swing earlier this month, more than 3,000 federal immigration agents flooded into Minnesota, carrying out sweeping detentions and facing off with protesters in tense confrontations.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
The whole episode works up to Dorit and Amanda’s confrontation at Dorit and Erika’s birthday dinner.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The rhetoric from Washington and Tehran — and US military deployments, including the recent arrival of aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East — appears to signal confrontation, and many airlines have canceled flights to the Gulf over the past week.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 2026.
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