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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confrontation
Police say a short confrontation ensued, causing the victim to flee in another direction.
—
Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
During the confrontation, the suspect pulled out a machete, lunged at the victim and swung the weapon toward him but missed.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
The Kurds are not the only ethnic minority preparing for confrontation.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
Suddenly the idea of people getting into viral confrontations and talking about Karens and all that was part of the zeitgeist.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
During the confrontation, the suspect pulled out a machete, lunged at the victim and swung the weapon toward him but missed.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
The Kurds are not the only ethnic minority preparing for confrontation.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
Suddenly the idea of people getting into viral confrontations and talking about Karens and all that was part of the zeitgeist.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
-
Devoted fans will catch every clever nod, while newcomers can enjoy the romance, rivalry, and Regency ridiculousness without the multi-volume commitment.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The long-simmering rivalry between Sunni and Shiite Muslims erupted into a civil war that killed tens of thousands of civilians.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The war inside The game was ultimately decided by the battle inside the paint as TCU’s frontline of Punch and junior center Xavier Edmonds scrapped and clawed with Kansas’ talented big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
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He was involved in multiple relegation battles and believes having the right mindset is key.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The matchup between the two incumbent Republicans highlights a greater struggle of generational change that both parties are facing.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
-
For many in the middle and lower tiers, simply staying afloat now feels like a struggle.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That is to say that the way the current system is set up distorts the healthcare economy in ways that don’t allow for much price competition, with ever-rising insurance premiums as the result.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Several regional nations have recently become key targets in a great power competition between the US and China for greater control of the continent’s resources.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two top City Section baseball teams, El Camino Real and San Fernando, faced off Friday in a pitcher’s duel that went eight innings.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Both teams seem to be settling into a duel between two aces.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Turkey on Monday, the second such incident, raising the risk the military alliance could be drawn more directly into the conflict.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
As conflict destabilizes parts of the Middle East, the ripple effects are already reaching the region’s luxury economy, which has become a promising growth engine for a struggling global sector.—
Tara Donaldson,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the cat-and-mouse game of drone warfare, the Ukrainians have also built up a layered defense against the Shahed and its variants – and claim to have seen significant success in countering Russian drone swarms.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Iraqis breathed a few gulps of freedom before secular warfare between Sunni and Shia militias began tearing the country apart.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both massive aircraft can act as the president’s emergency operations hub in times of national security threats, such as a nuclear war.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
When the war in Gaza erupted, the Houthis fired ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, in solidarity with the Palestinians, and imposed their chokehold on Red Sea shipping lanes.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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