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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Recent Examples of confrontation
In addition to gang recruitment, children are being forced into combat roles, directly participating in armed confrontations.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Liam is a tornado of affable douchbaggery, rolling from insult to confrontation to huge chorus, while Noel strums a few paces off-center, a wily smirk the only flicker of emotion on his face.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
But a face-to-face confrontation between the two competitors at center court was the biggest story coming out of Court 11.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Medvedev has been removed from a possible fourth-round confrontation, so the path is lighting up for a player who has won 41 of his last 43 matches.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Liam is a tornado of affable douchbaggery, rolling from insult to confrontation to huge chorus, while Noel strums a few paces off-center, a wily smirk the only flicker of emotion on his face.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
But a face-to-face confrontation between the two competitors at center court was the biggest story coming out of Court 11.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Medvedev has been removed from a possible fourth-round confrontation, so the path is lighting up for a player who has won 41 of his last 43 matches.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
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The Border War will be back in Columbia next week, the renewal of a historic rivalry that hasn’t been played in football since 2011.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
29 Aug. 2025
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Apart from maintaining his streak at the Diamond League, this win also highlights Lyle’s and Tebogo’s growing on-track rivalry.—
Paras J. Haji,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The move is the latest update in a years-long battle over the home of the military's newest combatant command, which is now based in Colorado Springs.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In August 2024, Francesca opened up about her mom’s battle with Parkinson’s disease in a video on TikTok.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the financial struggles of disabled individuals who lost part-time jobs.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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During an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends, Cummings, 43, candidly joked about her experience with postpartum depression after welcoming her son Henry back in December 2023, sharing that her struggles even inspired the name of her ongoing Big Baby tour.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Legacy won three games last season and was able to take down Justin Northwest 43-42 in a high-scoring duel.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Aug. 2025
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For me, this film was more about the duel between the stillness in the in the internal rage and that wanting to percolate outwards.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The treble — a club winning their domestic league title, main domestic cup competition and the European Cup/Champions League — has happened 11 times, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich the only sides to do so more than once.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Budgets are tight, and even in this tiny economic niche, competition is steep because many sell the same products to the same audience.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Norges Bank Investment Management said its decision was motivated by concerns over the companies' ties to the conflict in the West Bank.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
27 Aug. 2025
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Trump has raised pressure on India over the energy transactions, a key source of revenue for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, as part of a campaign to end the conflict.—
AFP,
Fortune,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In service of that goal, the government has abandoned due process in favor of media warfare, preemptive declarations of guilt and freezes on billions in critical federal funding.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
27 Aug. 2025
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His arrest, and the circumstances around it, have thrust the organization into a period of bloody warfare between rival factions.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The younger Woods is far from contention for the title in the 54-hole event, which concludes Sunday.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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Because both teams enter in the top three, the loser will likely not be eliminated from CFP contention on the results of this game alone, but the outcome will heavily influence the early playoff narrative and shape how each team’s margin for error is perceived moving forward.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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