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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The event includes hands-on demonstrations, hundreds of home-improvement products and services exhibitors, plant sales and face-to-face consultations with home improvement experts.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026 -
Continue reading … FIGHTING BACK – Felon followed woman home — then came face-to-face with her armed husband.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Teams of friends and families will go head-to-head in a test of boat building in the great outdoors during an annual Central Florida event.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
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The race for another Board of Review seat will be a head-to-head match rather than uncontested after county officials ruled incumbent Commissioner George Cardenas was safe on the ballot.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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But when protons raced both ways around the tunnel and crashed head-on, spraying debris into surrounding detectors, only the 25 particles of the Standard Model were observed.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 Jan. 2026
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For many in public health, this moment felt like the final straw, proof that the Make America Healthy Again movement is dangerous, unserious, and must be fought head-on or ignored altogether.—
Tom W. Johnson,
STAT,
26 Jan. 2026
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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 31 Jan. 2026.
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