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

Researchers put professional fundraisers and commercial AI models head-to-head to raise money for the nonprofit Save the Children. — Miriam Waldvogel, Washington Post, 19 June 2026

The first tiebreaker is now head-to-head record. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026

Prime’s strategy, which isn’t particularly new, nonetheless meets a moment when the streaming business across Asia is maturing, pushing players of every size toward bundling and aggregation rather than the head-to-head fight for subscribers that characterized the first phase of the streaming wars. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026

Now, as Haiti and Brazil prepare to go head-to-head in a World Cup group stage match on Friday in Philadelphia, many Haitians are finding themselves in an unfamiliar position. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026

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