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
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Example Sentences
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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
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Monday, March 9 Vote for Cincinnati's Favorite Beer Beers from 32 local breweries go head-to-head on a March Madness-style bracket.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
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Already, in head-to-head diagnostic comparisons, generative AI performs at levels comparable to human clinicians.—
Robert Pearl,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Off-site meetings are designed to get the ball rolling and bring teams together face-to-face.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
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Despite the challenges, career experts say students should lean into internships, networking opportunities and campus career fairs, where face-to-face connections can still make a difference.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Two people died and another person suffered major injuries after two vehicles crashed in a head-on collision late Monday on Interstate 5 in Yolo County, the California Highway Patrol reported.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Whatever Resecker's intention, his truck slammed head-on into the Potabathula family minivan.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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