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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Sandmann, then a Covington Catholic student, was at the center of a media firestorm after a video showed him face-to-face with a Native American elder.—
Jolene Almendarez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Sep. 2025 -
Once both animals are comfortable, a face-to-face introduction can occur.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across various terrains.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
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New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani holds a commanding lead in the race among the four-person field, though the lead narrows in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups, according to a survey released Tuesday.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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By tackling academic challenges head-on, students can focus on growth instead of fear of failure.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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But anyone who responds to preventable tragedies like this—tragedies that over time begin to erode the very fabric of our country—by refusing to face the problem of gun violence and crime head-on is missing the point.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 2025.
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