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
That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.
—
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Police departments across California and the country have warned that the game can trigger 911 calls, alarm neighbors and lead to dangerous confrontations when toy guns are mistaken for real weapons.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
Videos of their confrontations have amassed millions of views online.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
McGee prepares staff for uncomfortable conversations (and possible confrontations) by encouraging them not to dismiss people’s concerns.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 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
To understand how federal agents are using various Department of Homeland Security surveillance tools in real time, NPR collected dozens of accounts — through interviews and court documents — describing confrontations with federal immigration officers in recent months.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
At least nine people were killed in confrontations with security forces.
—CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Police departments across California and the country have warned that the game can trigger 911 calls, alarm neighbors and lead to dangerous confrontations when toy guns are mistaken for real weapons.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
Videos of their confrontations have amassed millions of views online.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
McGee prepares staff for uncomfortable conversations (and possible confrontations) by encouraging them not to dismiss people’s concerns.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 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
To understand how federal agents are using various Department of Homeland Security surveillance tools in real time, NPR collected dozens of accounts — through interviews and court documents — describing confrontations with federal immigration officers in recent months.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
At least nine people were killed in confrontations with security forces.
—CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontations
Noun
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The level of vitriol between the two fan bases, particularly online, is absolutely on par with some of the league’s best rivalries.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
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The 49ers Museum offers a window into the traditions, rivalries, and fan culture that define American football.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Guests experienced the unexpected pairing of CHEETOS FLAMIN’ HOT and dill pickle through product sampling, custom cocktails, fan-favorite arcade games, karaoke battles, and a high-energy dancefloor soundtracked by Loud Luxury’s signature mashups.—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
17 Mar. 2026
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Understandably, some gamers may be skeptical or even alarmed, given the ethical issues and legal battles surrounding generative AI.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Images of marchers protesting the Nigerian civil war and of leaders of anti-colonial struggles blend with early documentation of European women’s-liberation movements.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
-
After admittedly chasing stats, which led to some early-season struggles, Simmons settled into the defensive end possession and blossomed into one of the SEC’s most prolific sack masters.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin both have the ability to win aerial duels and run off their partner’s flick-ons.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In Dumas’ work, fights and duels and brave assaults on prisons are done grandly, out in the open.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Romantasy books blend the best of both the fantasy and romance genres, delivering high-stakes political conflicts, endless action and plot twists, and, of course, swoon-worthy love.—
De Elizabeth,
Glamour,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless.—
Gayle Rogers,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There will also be live music and entertainment, competitions and a peach pedal bike ride.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The only question is whether their uptick in performances is too little, too late — but Nuno’s side have only lost two of their last 12 matches in all competitions.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An administration official would make a claim about what happened, and later evidence would find these contentions to be misleading.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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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 22 Mar. 2026.
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