toe-to-toe

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

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

Examples of toe-to-toe in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The narratives are ripe in this one, with the 41-year-old Rodgers going toe-to-toe with the 26-year-old Jordan Love, who was drafted as his eventual replacement in Green Bay. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025

Toyota is developing a truck to go toe-to-toe with Ford's smallest pickup. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

For the past decade, Monroe has established herself as a mainstay in the horror genre, not just a dependable player but a true modern scream queen who’s able to elevate predictable fare, stand toe-to-toe with monsters of all kinds, and, of course, lead modern classics to even greater heights. —Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025

The Thunderhawks went toe-to-toe with the Zephyrs in the first half. —Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1942, in the meaning defined above