as in one-on-one
in direct confrontation or competition
that inexperienced, upstart candidate will be going eyeball-to-eyeball with a senator who's a skilled debater
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eyeball-to-eyeball
Adverb
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But while a Halloween marathon is a seasonal must, trying to figure out how to watch all 13 films can feel as daunting as coming face-to-face with the Shape himself.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025 -
However, the saga unearths new layers in the second season as Natalia shares her harrowing experiences with her adoptive parents and has a face-to-face confrontation with Michael.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Despite having the same 6-2 record, the selection committee appears to be going off the old eye test instead of valuing head-to-head matchups.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Each match consists of three rounds of competition, with rounds one and two featuring cheerleading skills including stunts, basket tosses, and tumbling in head-to-head, bracket-style rounds.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Instead of stopping, Dula accelerated, striking the officer head-on.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Instead of facing the bleak job market head-on, law school and MBA programs buy more time to figure out what’s next while safeguarding themselves against the technology.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Eyeball-to-eyeball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eyeball-to-eyeball. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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