head-to-head

adverb or adjective

ˈhed-tə-ˈhed 

: in a direct confrontation or encounter usually between individuals

teams competing head-to-head for the championship

Synonyms of head-to-head

• toe-to-toe
• one-on-one
• face-to-face
• head-on

Examples of head-to-head in a Sentence

it's fitting that the two best teams during the regular season will go head-to-head for the championship

Recent Examples on the Web

Those aren’t direct comparisons because the drugs weren’t compared in a head-to-head clinical trial. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025

Though Miami beat Atlanta, keep in mind that head-to-head is used as the fourth tiebreaker to determine draft order. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Dec. 2025

So this is going to be a Mile High toss-up between two of the hottest teams in the league, and could come down to a head-to-head quarterback battle between Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025

The teams have competed head-to-head in recruiting, especially in South Florida, for some of the nation’s elite prospects. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for head-to-head

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead