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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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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Though Edmonton sat back and trapped more at times, including late in the year, their pace and personnel allowed for plenty of chances in three head-to-head meetings.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
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Who won the head-to-head games between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia this season?—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Go face-to-face with the person of the moment.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2026
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This face-to-face interaction contrasts with online chess, where players often encounter trolling and unsportsmanlike behavior.—
Sara Hansen,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Perkins, who is CEO of Canva, addressed head-on the concerns among many who work in creative industries about the potential for AI to supplant human labor.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Figures of Crisis makes productive use of this commonplace idea by tackling it head-on and turning it inside out.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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