as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the softball rivals met in an epic confrontation on the last weekend of the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of confrontation
My tendency is to break s**t down and to go to the confrontation.
—
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
A day after Bondi and Schiff battled during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the California Democrat sent out a fundraising letter Wednesday referencing the confrontation.
—Kate Wolffe
october 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The confrontation between Simpson and Hampton then became physical, the document continued.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, the confrontation occurred during a heated scene at the Dutton Ranch involving Costner, Bentley and Kelly Reilly.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
A day after Bondi and Schiff battled during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the California Democrat sent out a fundraising letter Wednesday referencing the confrontation.
—Kate Wolffe
october 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The confrontation between Simpson and Hampton then became physical, the document continued.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, the confrontation occurred during a heated scene at the Dutton Ranch involving Costner, Bentley and Kelly Reilly.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
-
But international rivalry between the United States and Canada, rekindled last season with two memorable games in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, will also take center stage in February when the NHL will break for players’ participation in the Winter Olympics for the first time in over a decade.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Set in 1980s England, the series follows the rivalry of two men who come to a head.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The battle of the rotations Pretty much every night, their starting pitcher was better than your starting pitcher.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
That includes research presentations on hip-hop, identity and activism, interactive workshops in education and creative practice, and a freestyle dance battle.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While the murderous struggle is hard to hear in the video, the barking continued for several minutes and is unmistakable.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Often taunted by tabloids for her unsmiling demeanor, Victoria shows off her sense of humor and gets real about some of the most difficult parts of her past, including her struggles with an eating disorder and almost losing her fashion business entirely.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Game 4 was high-intensity from the jump with Cristopher Sanchez and Tyler Glasnow going head-to-head in a pitchers' duel.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The hope is more of a fiery attitude could lead to more duels won.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Historically, Goldman says bubbles tend to be driven by a specific innovation, investors pile-in, there’s a rush of capital and competition from new companies, which in turn pushes up prices and valuations, increasing systemic risks.—
Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
-
With fewer insurers willing to provide insurance in Florida than in New Hampshire, there is less competition, which leads to higher premiums.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If the peace holds, the region could enter a new era defined less by conflict than by the possibility of transformation, including the rebuilding of a post-Hamas Gaza and the normalization of Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Both led their people through seemingly impossible conflicts with grace and the ethos of nonviolence.—
Janine Di Giovanni,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The continent is scrambling to build the necessary capacities to defend against drones, highlighting not only its lagging technology but also how rapidly warfare has shifted to the use of unmanned aircraft.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But does this signal not just tactical innovation, but a shift toward a new era of hybrid naval warfare?—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If Schaefer can make a strong early impact to get into Calder contention and Pulock can bounce back, however, there’s certainly room for upside here.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The stark difference proved costly as the club finished 82-80 and outside of playoff contention.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share