toe to toe

1 of 2

phrase

: facing one another

toe-to-toe

2 of 2

adjective or adverb

ˈtō-ˌtə-ˈtō 

: slugging it out at or as if at close range

a toe-to-toe confrontation over the new policy

Synonyms of toe to toe

Adjective or adverb

• head-to-head
• one-on-one
• head-on
• face-to-face
• eyeball-to-eyeball

Examples of toe to toe in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb

mom-and-pop grocery stores are usually wildly outmatched when they go toe-to-toe with large chain stores

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective or adverb

Now, how a team performs during the regular season is going to greatly impact its title hopes, and there is doubt whether Penske is ready to go toe-to-toe with Hendrick and Gibbs on a weekly basis. —Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

With hometown fans cheering in Chicago Stadium, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins went toe-to-toe in the slam dunk contest during All-Star Weekend. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026

And now here stand the Heat, after a week of toe-to-toe against the Bulls and the Hawks, again tracking toward the play-in, as if inescapable. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026

Alabama presents another unique challenge, with its ability to go toe-to-toe with the Aggies on the offensive end. —Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

circa 1942, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for toe to toe

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau