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

On top of that, reunion host Tan France attempted to mediate multiple one-on-one confrontations, many of them forcing Stause to defend herself from an entire couch’s worth of criticism. —Quispe López, Them., 6 Nov. 2025

Old wounds, financial matters or unspoken resentments in your one-on-one relationships may need to be revisited, or at the very least reflected upon with a fresh perspective. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025

Sliwa, 71, has ignored pressure from within his own party to suspend his campaign and create a one-on-one race between Cuomo and Mamdani. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025

Clark, a transformational coach, helps clients, from athletes to entrepreneurs, turn challenges into clarity, resilience, and growth through one-on-one coaching. —William Jones, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025

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