as in head-to-head
in direct confrontation or competition
mom-and-pop grocery stores are usually wildly outmatched when they go toe-to-toe with large chain stores
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toe-to-toe
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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By tackling academic challenges head-on, students can focus on growth instead of fear of failure.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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But anyone who responds to preventable tragedies like this—tragedies that over time begin to erode the very fabric of our country—by refusing to face the problem of gun violence and crime head-on is missing the point.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 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
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Cite this Entry
“Toe-to-toe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toe-to-toe. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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