as in rivalries
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 confrontations
Viewers can also expect health emergencies, explosive confrontations and the fallout from a public scandal that threatens to divide the family even further.
—
Shelby Stewart, Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Advertisement The finale of the 20 episode series reveals Sonia’s motivations and brings a series of manipulations and confrontations to a close.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
The intellectual premise of the movie—true to Greaves’s modernist spirit—arises from the practical premise of its production, namely, a fusion of celebration and cerebration, unity of purpose and dialectical confrontations.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
These confrontations positioned Kirk as accessible and confident in his polarizing beliefs and created a sense of intellectual challenge that appealed to competitive young students.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Broader market reactions have been muted, barring brief spikes in oil prices when Israel entered direct confrontations with Hamas’ crude-rich patron Iran and with other of Tehran’s proxies, such as Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.
—Ruxandra Iordache,emma Graham, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
In June 2023, Somerville was arrested twice in a nine-hour period after multiple confrontations with family members at a residence in Berkeley.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Camarillo, the Standard professor, argued that the confrontations highlight how enforcement priorities have shifted.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
That event was still beset by confrontations, with someone jumping on a police officer, protesters smashing glass panes in the doors of the venue and members of the Proud Boys – a far-right group – clashing with demonstrators, according to local media reports.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Shelby Stewart, Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Advertisement The finale of the 20 episode series reveals Sonia’s motivations and brings a series of manipulations and confrontations to a close.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
The intellectual premise of the movie—true to Greaves’s modernist spirit—arises from the practical premise of its production, namely, a fusion of celebration and cerebration, unity of purpose and dialectical confrontations.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
These confrontations positioned Kirk as accessible and confident in his polarizing beliefs and created a sense of intellectual challenge that appealed to competitive young students.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Broader market reactions have been muted, barring brief spikes in oil prices when Israel entered direct confrontations with Hamas’ crude-rich patron Iran and with other of Tehran’s proxies, such as Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.
—Ruxandra Iordache,emma Graham, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
In June 2023, Somerville was arrested twice in a nine-hour period after multiple confrontations with family members at a residence in Berkeley.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Camarillo, the Standard professor, argued that the confrontations highlight how enforcement priorities have shifted.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
That event was still beset by confrontations, with someone jumping on a police officer, protesters smashing glass panes in the doors of the venue and members of the Proud Boys – a far-right group – clashing with demonstrators, according to local media reports.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontations
Noun
-
South African suburban satire/crime drama Koek [Cake]; and British series Rivals, an adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel of 1980s media and political rivalries.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The aftermath of that bout has created a host of new questions and rivalries.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Where many of Krishna’s battles end in death for the aggressor, this story is remarkable for its mercy—Krishna spares Kaliya after the snake’s wives and children emerge from the pond to plead on his behalf.—
Seamus Sullivan
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Sheen described being at the center of seven family interventions, countless affairs, legal battles and messy divorces.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Both teams are looking to rebound from early-season struggles.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The pandemic shined a relentless light on the deep struggles in the American education system.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Matthijs de Ligt was first to almost everything at the back, not only in his duels, but also when in the same situations with which Yoro at times struggled at the Etihad, when stepping up as one of the wide centre-backs to squeeze the space between defence and midfield.—
Mark Critchley,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
-
One of the weirdest races in their duels was the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which saw them both experience a tough run of luck completely independent from each other.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For years, Netanyahu’s approach to warfare was characterized by brief and contained conflicts, especially in Gaza.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
In 2020, during COVID-19 shutdowns, English didn’t have the schedule conflicts that once hindered him from starting his own coffee business.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For example, the Rotarians support Interact, music competitions, a four-way speech competition and a holiday craft fair at Valley Elementary.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Nguyen rose to fame through Vietnamese reality competitions in the 2010s, breaking through on Vietnam Idol in 2012 as the show’s first trans contestant and placing in the final four.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
However, the reality is that peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US and Europe are clearly stalled, if at worse dead with many contentions from both sides surrounding security concerns and, importantly, trade sanctions.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confrontations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontations. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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