Definition of toe-to-toenext
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
  • If necessary, tiebreakers include head-to-head matchups, point differential, total points and, if needed, a random drawing.
    Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
  • The online competition features ice cream shops from across the country in a bracket-style format, with winners advancing through head-to-head matchups based on public voting.
    Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Adverb
  • Volvo shared some new crash footage with Popular Science, showing how their design choices protect drivers even during head-on moose collisions.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
  • On a new episode of Call Her Daddy, Wilde digs in, addressing many of those controversies head-on while eliding others.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Adverb
  • The headset supports real-time translation and face-to-face conversations in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic.
    Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Tom Holland finally came face-to-face with his name twin Tom Holland for a special podcast episode.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026
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.

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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 17 Jul. 2026.

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