confront

verb

con·​front kən-ˈfrənt How to pronounce confront (audio)
confronted; confronting; confronts

transitive verb

1
: to face especially in challenge : oppose
confront an enemy
The mayor was confronted by a group of protesters.
2
a
: to cause to meet : bring face-to-face
confront a reader with statistics
confronted her with the evidence
b
: to meet face-to-face : encounter
confronted the possibility of failure
confrontal noun
confronter noun

Example Sentences

They confronted the invaders at the shore. She confronted him about his smoking. The country is reluctant to confront its violent past. The photographs confront the viewer with images of desperate poverty. I confronted her with the evidence.
Recent Examples on the Web All weekend, the two process servers had been doing drive-bys at an estate 30 miles southeast of Atlanta in a quest to confront its famous owner. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 17 May 2023 After that victory, O’Malley entered the octagon to confront Sterling and demand a shot at the title. Andrew Mahoney, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023 Through the latter, characters communicate with ghostly voices, confront the history of their hometown and see their futures forever altered. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2023 Drivers on some Northwest Indiana highways have been confronting delays caused by highway repairs, as the summer construction season gets into full swing. Tim Zorn, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2023 Breed acknowledged those perceptions, but defended her administration’s efforts to confront persistent homelessness and addiction. Nora Mishanec, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 May 2023 However, the deaths amid reforms provide further evidence of the severity of the mental health crisis confronting institutions of higher education. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 13 May 2023 The reluctance of the Republican field to confront the front-runner has created a weird situation in which Trump inadvertently delivers the arguments both for and against his candidacy. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 13 May 2023 Jurors also heard a recorded phone conversation of Ryan confronting his mother. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 12 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confront.' 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

Middle French confronter to border on, confront, from Medieval Latin confrontare to bound, from Latin com- + front-, frons forehead, front

First Known Use

circa 1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confront was circa 1568

Dictionary Entries Near confront

Cite this Entry

“Confront.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confront. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

confront

verb
con·​front kən-ˈfrənt How to pronounce confront (audio)
1
: to face especially in challenge : oppose
confront an enemy
2
: to bring face-to-face : cause to meet
confronted with difficulties
confrontation
ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən
noun

Legal Definition

confront

transitive verb
con·​front kən-ˈfrənt How to pronounce confront (audio)
: to face or bring face-to-face for the purpose of challenging especially through cross-examination
the accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against himU.S. Constitution amend. VI
confrontation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on confront

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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