1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

one-on-one

adverb

ˌwən-ȯn-ˈwən How to pronounce one-on-one (audio)
Definition of one-on-onenext
as in face-to-face
in direct confrontation or competition bragged that no one could go one-on-one with her in a game of darts and win

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-on-one
  1. face-to-face
  2. head-to-head
  3. head-on
Adverb
  • Tim Connelly, Wolves president of basketball operations, and front-office staffer Alonzo Gee flew to Miami to meet with him face-to-face.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • During the event, Apple showed AirPods translating Spanish into English while the wearer continued a face-to-face conversation.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of face-to-face
Adverb
  • Publication of head-to-head validation studies comparing GrimAge, iAge and GlycanAge on the same subjects 3.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
  • My emphasis on head-to-head results also creates rises from some surprising teams, like Tulsa and Western Michigan.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of head-to-head
Adverb
  • Two drivers are dead after a head-on car crash in Brewster, Massachusetts, Thursday night.
    — Neal Riley, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • 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, 26 June 2026
Definition of head-on
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

one-off
one-on-one
onerous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“One-on-one.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-on-one. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All