as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the softball rivals met in an epic confrontation on the last weekend of the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 confrontation
Related article The real stakes in Trump’s confrontation with Harvard
Researchers gathered the samples over decades as part of the Nurse’s Health Study, one of the largest and longest investigations ever done on women’s risk factors for chronic disease.
—
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Frontier contractors fired after viral video confrontation with customer
Two Frontier Airlines contractors are no longer associated with the company after they were caught on video denying service to a customer.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025
The Stirling family’s statement says that the video appears to show Stirling moving away from the officer when he was shot, although the video shows that the officer’s and Stirling’s movements at the end of the confrontation were fast-moving.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 8 May 2025
Engaging in a direct confrontation can often amplify the issue, drawing more media attention and potentially polarizing stakeholders.
—Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Frontier contractors fired after viral video confrontation with customer
Two Frontier Airlines contractors are no longer associated with the company after they were caught on video denying service to a customer.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025
The Stirling family’s statement says that the video appears to show Stirling moving away from the officer when he was shot, although the video shows that the officer’s and Stirling’s movements at the end of the confrontation were fast-moving.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 8 May 2025
Engaging in a direct confrontation can often amplify the issue, drawing more media attention and potentially polarizing stakeholders.
—Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
-
This is a space that is ripe for standardization, the entry of new players in the market, and more vendor rivalries and drama.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
-
At times, the rivalry between the players has become the biggest topic of discussion in sports and eclipsed the athletic world, raising issues of race and gender equality.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
As a 60-person battle royale, matches can be extremely long and, in tournament play, repeat over and over for hours until a winning team can be crowned.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2025
-
Vance met with the late Pope Francis on April 20, less than 24 hours before the pope died following a weeks-long battle with double pneumonia and other health issues.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Denver won Game 3 because Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray each scored at least 20 points, which went a long way toward subduing the struggles of Jokić.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
-
The independent federal agency has been facing financial struggles in recent years, having implemented a 10-year plan to stabilize in 2021.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
The first challenger, selected at random, must choose one of his or her neighboring opponents to go head-to-head in an epic quiz duel in the opponent’s category.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 May 2025
-
In each episode, the first challenger, selected at random, must choose one of his or her neighboring opponents to go head-to-head in an epic quiz duel in the opponent’s category.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
The event is the world's biggest music competition, watched by more than 160 million people across the world.—
John Revill,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
With only five returning players, even Clark said Indiana needed competition to learn more about areas of improvement.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
The White House has said there is no conflict and that the president is acting in the interests of the American public and not his own.—
Susan Heavey,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
Beneath the surface, there are, in fact, some major conflicts brewing in Enzo’s life: He’s been waging a quiet war against his bourgeois parents (Pierfrancesco Favino, Elodie Bouchez), rejecting the typical academic route that his older brother (Nathan Japy) has successfully chosen.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
Both sides have ramped up cross-border drone warfare, often going deeper into each country's territory.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
With missiles tracking targets from miles away, nations are pouring resources into stealth, advanced avionics, and electronic warfare—reshaping doctrines for a battlefield no longer visible to the naked eye.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
The 34-year-old shot a 7-under 64 to put himself into contention, sitting at 5-under for the tournament and tied for fourth entering Saturday’s moving day.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
-
In order to be in prime contention to win the division this fall, a repeat performance might be necessary.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share