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

Phrase

The Trojans, a perennial Sun Belt contender, became the first team to go toe to toe with Missouri and make the Tigers fight against a scrappy opponent for all four quarters. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026

And then there’s the scariest scenario for fans, which comes if owners do decide to sit out for a long time to get a cap — and the players are willing to go toe to toe. — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Adjective or adverb

But the Ohio State transfer was impressive in his debut against Ole Miss, going toe-to-toe with Trinidad Chambliss. — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

The Ryan Raiders have been a consistent playoff staple, going toe-to-toe with programs as prominent as 12 time state champion Aledo. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 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