toe to toe

1 of 2

phrase

: facing one another

toe-to-toe

2 of 2

adjective or adverb

: slugging it out at or as if at close range
a toe-to-toe confrontation over the new policy

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective or adverb
The Ducks went toe-to-toe with a bona fide heavyweight, sending the Washington Capitals to the canvas, 4-3, in a shootout on Friday night at Honda Center. Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025 That scene, where Cain and Derek go conversationally toe-to-toe, is one of the film’s sharpest knife-edge moments. Craig McLean, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025 But the lure of going to LSU and taking over a program that's won three national titles - with three different head coaches - over the last 20 years and be able to physically go toe-to-toe with the Georgia's and Alabama's of the SEC may be too tempting to pass up. Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025 The boxers go toe-to-toe in a grueling fight at the climax of the movie that results in a win for Rocky. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for toe to toe

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

circa 1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toe to toe was circa 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Toe to toe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toe%20to%20toe. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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