as in toe-to-toe
in direct confrontation or competition
it's fitting that the two best teams during the regular season will go head-to-head for the championship
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of head-to-head
Carolina has the tiebreaker because of a 3-1 head-to-head record against the other two teams.
—
Ajc Sports, AJC.com, 4 Jan. 2026
And there isn’t much space available on the crowded December calendar if the CFP hopes to avoid head-to-head broadcasts against the NFL.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Participants will go head-to-head as a Discover referee drops the puck, competing in a best-of-three showdown to claim bragging rights.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
While our days are often spent head-to-head testing for our deep-dive Gear Guides, our best discoveries often happen in the real-life moments between edit tasks or writing up testing notes.
—The Editors, Outside, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-to-head
Ajc Sports, AJC.com, 4 Jan. 2026
And there isn’t much space available on the crowded December calendar if the CFP hopes to avoid head-to-head broadcasts against the NFL.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Participants will go head-to-head as a Discover referee drops the puck, competing in a best-of-three showdown to claim bragging rights.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
While our days are often spent head-to-head testing for our deep-dive Gear Guides, our best discoveries often happen in the real-life moments between edit tasks or writing up testing notes.
—The Editors, Outside, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-to-head
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-to-head
Adverb
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Online retailers with lower overhead typically offer better pricing than brick-and-mortar stores, though the latter provide immediate possession and face-to-face transactions that some buyers value.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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National networks, for their part, have produced news-magazine shows that specialize in filming similarly dramatic face-to-face encounters.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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In Season 2, expect Pine to confront those feelings head-on, thanks to another likeminded arms dealer and alluring femme fatale who put him in the crosshairs again.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
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State police are investigating a fatal head-on crash involving dump truck in Oxford on Thursday morning.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head-to-head.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-to-head. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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