Synonyms of mano a mano

mano a mano

adverb

ˌmä-nō-ä-ˈmä-nō 

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

• head-to-head
• one-on-one
• face-to-face
• head-on
• toe-to-toe
• eyeball-to-eyeball

Example Sentences

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