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
Still the competition seems like perfect Tom–versus–Aaron, mano a mano, gay against gay.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 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
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 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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Miami has been the less consistent team, but the head-to-head results have to matter.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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The Nittany Lions owned a 25-2 record in head-to-head battles.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 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
Adverb
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More recently, Mamdani tackled the Islamophobic attacks against him head-on, with a heartfelt message that drew comparisons to Obama's race speech.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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Then only weeks later, Eugene was badly injured when his car was struck head-on by another vehicle that crossed the median on a two-lane highway.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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