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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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Antetokounmpo are likely the only centers that can win a head-to-head matchup against Wembanyama.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026 -
If no single candidate got a majority of the votes, the top two candidates advanced to a head-to-head runoff.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
30 May 2026
Adverb
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Perkins, who is CEO of Canva, addressed head-on the concerns among many who work in creative industries about the potential for AI to supplant human labor.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Figures of Crisis makes productive use of this commonplace idea by tackling it head-on and turning it inside out.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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For two months, the mother and son had almost zero face-to-face contact.—
Gregory Royal Pratt,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
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In digital marketing, content creation and communication, the importance of face-to-face experience is not declining.—
Alana Sandel,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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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 6 Jun. 2026.
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