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
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
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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And the strategy appears to be paying off for Spanberger in head-to-head polling.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
30 Sep. 2025
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The Sox went 9-4 in this year’s head-to-head series.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Being less direct and formal can help prevent your kid putting a wall up — as can chatting during car rides since not being face-to-face can feel less intimidating for them.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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However, the process is slow and requires individuals to see a potential abuser one more time face-to-face.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Huawei, China’s tech powerhouse, now competes head-on against Apple with smartphones powered by its own chips.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Whichever the case, the stuff needs to be dealt with head-on, and there’s no better time to do so than in the present.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mano a mano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mano%20a%20mano. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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