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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Teams of friends and families will go head-to-head in a test of boat building in the great outdoors during an annual Central Florida event.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026 -
The race for another Board of Review seat will be a head-to-head match rather than uncontested after county officials ruled incumbent Commissioner George Cardenas was safe on the ballot.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash happened late Friday night when Aguilar crossed the center line and collided head-on with another vehicle.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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According to witnesses, the minibus carrying the children was reportedly overtaking other stationary vehicles when the head-on collision occurred, per the news agency.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Online retailers with lower overhead typically offer better pricing than brick-and-mortar stores, though the latter provide immediate possession and face-to-face transactions that some buyers value.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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National networks, for their part, have produced news-magazine shows that specialize in filming similarly dramatic face-to-face encounters.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 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 22 Jan. 2026.
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