one-on-one

adjective or adverb

ˌwən-ȯn-ˈwən 

ˌwən-än-

1

: playing directly against a single opposing player

2

: involving a direct encounter between one person and another

Synonyms of one-on-one

• face-to-face
• head-to-head
• toe-to-toe
• head-on
• eyeball-to-eyeball

Examples of one-on-one in a Sentence

bragged that no one could go one-on-one with her in a game of darts and win

Recent Examples on the Web

Vesce said all of the sessions are one-on-one or in small groups. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026

Jayne tried her darndest to keep it a one-on-one match, tossing either Grey or Vice out of the ring to keep the numbers even inside of it. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

The nonprofit has grants for other nonprofit organizations that deliver bereavement programs and palliative care, offers grief support for college students and one-on-one social worker support. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Once Towns lays the screen for Brunson, Castle switches onto the point guard, a crafty one-on-one scorer who chooses not to go at Castle and swings the ball to the other side of the court. —Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for one-on-one

• hydrocodone
• anyone
• everyone
• megaton
• overdone
• overrun
• povidone
• trazodone
• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• handgun