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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mano a mano
Adverb
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In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across various terrains.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025 -
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani holds a commanding lead in the race among the four-person field, though the lead narrows in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups, according to a survey released Tuesday.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter took it as a hostile act and approached Prescott, meeting face-to-face with him.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
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And that's a good thing, because the alternative is a face-to-face confrontation.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Peppard believes that before organizations can deliver on the transformational potential of AI, or indeed any transformational technology, there are multiple canons defining the dominant orthodoxy that must be tackled head-on.—
Randy Bean,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Mars in Scorpio is a formidable adversary, making this an excellent time to tackle projects head-on and set the record straight wherever necessary.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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