showdown

noun

Definition of showdownnext
as in confrontation

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of showdown That's a Saturday night when Lane, Whit and the Tigers roll into The Grove for a very early SEC showdown that could be one of the most emotional nights of football in SEC regular-season history. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Read my full story about the November showdown between Marshall and Hamilton, including what both campaigns had to say about the race’s shifting forecast. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 The legal showdown, in which the DA has teamed up with lobbyists, will test the government’s stability. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026 To recap, Maynard’s York side went into the final day of last season needing just one point from a top-of-the-table showdown with Rochdale to pip their hosts to the National League title. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for showdown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showdown
  1. confrontation
  2. duel
  3. rivalry
  4. war
  5. battle
  6. competition
  7. face-off
  8. warfare
Noun
  • Driscoll and others involved in the mission worried that something far less dramatic could derail it, such as an accidental weapon discharge, an isolated confrontation with a protester or a guardsman caught on camera behaving poorly.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • East and West are once again locked in a life-and-death confrontation, even as Putin fires off a fusillade of threats to launch nuclear missiles against any Western power that comes to Ukraine’s aid.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • Hugh is murdered in the street by Jon Roxton, one of the conspirators, but the bowl-cut-sporting swordsman already had a big duel with Daemon in the first Battle of Tumbleton, so maybe somebody else will get the honors.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The starters were locked in a scoreless duel through five innings.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of duel
Noun
  • The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, which originated in 1892, has waned a bit in recent years as the Milwaukee Brewers have taken control of the National League Central.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • As China’s strategic rivalry with the US and its allies deepens, Beijing has broadened its anti-espionage campaign, casting suspicious eyes on foreign ties amid concerns about the leak of state secrets.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of rivalry
Noun
  • But last year, their relationship blew up amid a turf war over CPS employees.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • While pursuing conservative, anti-migrant policies domestically, Meloni adopted a pragmatic approach toward the European Union and became one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in its war against Russia.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • Alex Wagner, who served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs during the Biden administration, argued recruiting has remained remarkably insulated from those political battles.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The fight preceded the Zeus main event, which was a battle between stars from the network’s Baddies series, Tehneski and Big Lex.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • Contrast that with eventual EFL champions Coventry City (48 in 49 in all competitions) and Championship runners-up Ipswich Town (50 in 49).
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Soaring temperatures are forcing drastic measures in Europe, where successive heatwaves are straining an economy already under pressure from US tariffs, Chinese competition and higher energy prices because of the Iran war.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of competition
Noun
  • Our Avengers assemble for one final face-off against Thanos, bringing some heroes’ stories to a close and teasing others that are just beginning.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • For national tournaments, the corollary is how poorer countries always have to match up against richer ones for regional face-offs and qualifiers that culminate in the quadrennial dream that is the World Cup.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of face-off
Noun
  • Some have been Ukrainian drones knocked off course by Russian electronic warfare, such as the jamming of navigation signals, which can make their flight paths unpredictable and complicate decisions about whether and where to shoot them down.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But by repeating the training scenario throughout the two-week exercise, US Army troops got better at figuring out how to disperse and hide from the drones while using countermeasures such as electronic warfare.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of warfare

Browse Nearby Words

showcasing
showdown
showdowns
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Cite this Entry

“Showdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showdown. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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