showdown
noun
show·down
ˈshō-ˌdau̇n 
1
: the placing of poker hands faceup on the table to determine the winner of a pot
2
: a decisive confrontation or contest
Examples of showdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kid Rock, headlining the TPUSA show alongside Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, framed the effort as a cultural showdown.
—
Maria Francis, Oklahoman, 8 Feb. 2026
With the victory, Del Lago improves to 20-5 overall and 4-0 in heading into Wednesday’s first-place showdown with Army-Navy.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Opening-half turnovers made the Missouri Tigers’ SEC road showdown against South Carolina a little too close for comfort, at least for a while, on Saturday afternoon at Colonial Life Arena.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Chock and Bates edged out French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by less than two points in an early showdown of individual gold medal contenders.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for showdown
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.
Maria Francis, Oklahoman, 8 Feb. 2026
With the victory, Del Lago improves to 20-5 overall and 4-0 in heading into Wednesday’s first-place showdown with Army-Navy.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Opening-half turnovers made the Missouri Tigers’ SEC road showdown against South Carolina a little too close for comfort, at least for a while, on Saturday afternoon at Colonial Life Arena.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Chock and Bates edged out French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by less than two points in an early showdown of individual gold medal contenders.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for showdown
Cite this Entry
“Showdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showdown. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
showdown
noun
show·down
-ˌdau̇n
: the test of strength that finally settles a dispute
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
