as in head-to-head
in direct confrontation or competition
the two brothers decided to go mano a mano in one final match to determine who was the better tennis player
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mano a mano
There was no mano a mano moment between James and Bryant.
—
Zach Harper, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Zoë survived two blasts and one mano a mano confrontation with Beelzebub!
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Though neither is exactly a revelation — in the sense that these talents were revealed long ago — each gets space for menacing monologues and mano a mano match-ups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Surreal and dreamlike vignettes, and some laugh out loud moments of levity, break up mano a mano scenes in that hut that test the intensity of Bean and Day-Lewis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mano a mano
Zach Harper, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Zoë survived two blasts and one mano a mano confrontation with Beelzebub!
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Though neither is exactly a revelation — in the sense that these talents were revealed long ago — each gets space for menacing monologues and mano a mano match-ups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Surreal and dreamlike vignettes, and some laugh out loud moments of levity, break up mano a mano scenes in that hut that test the intensity of Bean and Day-Lewis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mano a mano
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mano a mano
Adverb
-
The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will go head-to-head for football glory at Super Bowl 60 on Sunday.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Brawley was able to win two of the three head-to-head matches against Poway in the final.—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Their face-to-face visit lasted about an hour and was followed by lunch.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Reading a book — yes, a real book with pages, gotten from a library or a store, not a Kindle; conversing, face-to-face, with a friend; taking a walk in a park or in the country?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The teen then crashed head-on into a tree, with the vehicle coming to rest with its front end up against the tree, according to state police's report.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Midi Health met a clear gap head-on.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
