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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So far, Aoun has refused to engage in face-to-face discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a complete halt to Israeli fire on the country.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026 -
Your words have impact, whether face-to-face or by email.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Adverb
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Who won the head-to-head games between the Flyers and Hurricanes this season?—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
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Kia's minivan recall could make its the competitor, the Toyota Sienna, look even better in a head-to-head comparison.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Perkins, who is CEO of Canva, addressed head-on the concerns among many who work in creative industries about the potential for AI to supplant human labor.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Figures of Crisis makes productive use of this commonplace idea by tackling it head-on and turning it inside out.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 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 11 May. 2026.
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