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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thereafter, Maske arrived in the driveway, where there was a confrontation between Aanerud and Maske. Tim Speier, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2024 Modern warfare now extends beyond physical confrontations to include cyber threats with widespread repercussions that extend beyond the battlefield. Kevin Lynch, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Pine Ridge has a long history of violence — a 1973 confrontation at Wounded Knee between activists and federal officials left several people dead — as well as high levels of poverty. Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024 Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 initiated a series of confrontations in the Middle East. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confrontation 

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 10 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation

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