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

This was the first of this season’s two head-to-head meetings between the clubs. — Staff Report, Mercury News, 25 July 2026

The leagues are eight weeks, with different formats like head-to-head match play or the tag-team alternate shot each week. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026

But the four candidates will have two more opportunities to go head-to-head in debates on July 28 and 29. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

The two best squads advance to a second and final round to settle things head-to-head. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 24 July 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