as in head-to-head
in direct confrontation or competition
the underdog team met its more talented opponent head-on and won the hockey game through sheer grit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of head-on
The debris and spacecraft in LEO can travel at hypersonic speeds, meaning even a paint-chip-sized fragment striking a satellite head-on could penetrate fuel tanks, tear through structures, or compromise batteries and life-support systems.
—
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Fatal crash in Plymouth A man is dead and two other people are injured following a head-on collision in Plymouth Friday.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
The 18-year-old continued on in the sedan, before crashing head-on with another pickup truck, driven by 21-year-old Scott Hakes, Action News Jax reported.
—Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Neff is accused of driving a Dodge pickup the wrong direction down the highway in Carneys Point Township, crashing head-on into the teenagers’ car.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-on
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Fatal crash in Plymouth A man is dead and two other people are injured following a head-on collision in Plymouth Friday.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
The 18-year-old continued on in the sedan, before crashing head-on with another pickup truck, driven by 21-year-old Scott Hakes, Action News Jax reported.
—Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Neff is accused of driving a Dodge pickup the wrong direction down the highway in Carneys Point Township, crashing head-on into the teenagers’ car.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-on
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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When Carrington and Dina sit down face-to-face to negotiate Allura’s divorce, Dina brings up Chase’s relationship with Maria as a means to blackmail him.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Over the past 15 years, face-to-face socialization has declined precipitously.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-on. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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