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
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Recent Examples of confrontation
Diplomats can negotiate, but the final decision rests with one man — a leader shaped by decades of confrontation with the United States, focused on regime survival and determined to preserve his legacy even as Iran enters a new round of talks.
—
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
In fact, Minnesota law mandates that all individuals, armed or unarmed, have a duty to retreat from confrontation or threat.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Few figures in hip-hop are as comfortable with verbal confrontation as 50 Cent.
—Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Multiple confrontations have also taken place in Lake Worth Beach, which has become a focal point of immigration enforcement in recent months as FHP troopers patrol neighborhoods and where more than 100 PBSO deputies are trained to act as immigration officers under the agency’s 287(g) agreement.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
In fact, Minnesota law mandates that all individuals, armed or unarmed, have a duty to retreat from confrontation or threat.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Few figures in hip-hop are as comfortable with verbal confrontation as 50 Cent.
—Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Multiple confrontations have also taken place in Lake Worth Beach, which has become a focal point of immigration enforcement in recent months as FHP troopers patrol neighborhoods and where more than 100 PBSO deputies are trained to act as immigration officers under the agency’s 287(g) agreement.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
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While there are teams, rivalries and even championships on the line, Lightner says the real goal goes far beyond the scoreboard.—
Itay Hod,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Next on the line is a woman who is more gracious to Kendrick, but didn’t seem to get the memo that the East Coast-West Coast rivalry ended decades ago.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The star of the cache was a near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, or carnyx — used to blare eerie sounds in battle and rally troops against the enemy.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Alain Hamel is credited with catching the giant flatfish, which was pulled through the ice after a two-and-a-half hour battle.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If Grosz’s first book, The Examined Life, was all about his patients’ personal lives and struggles, Love’s Labor—which is written in a similar way, as a series of case studies—is much more interested in his patients’ approach to love, specifically.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … ROYAL RECKONING – Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie struggle with fallout from latest Epstein doc drop.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Khelif has appealed the new policy that will keep the athlete out of any competitions pending the results of genetic testing.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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During the second annual competition in October, the team from La Marmotte restaurant, also located downtown, won with a concoction of Nikka Vodka, Luxardo Espresso liqueur, Irish cream, and Count Chocula and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Belgium international has started to utilise his physical traits, increasingly aggressive in duels and more willing to dominate his opponent.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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One of the most exciting playoff games in recent memory — a quarterback duel between Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes — ended abruptly in a 42-36 Chiefs win when Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce on an eight-yard touchdown pass.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Warren saw that the conflict in the region between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army left local children with little to do.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The film delves into the fragility of the human mind, the dangers of AI warfare, and the indomitable spirit required to confront terror in an increasingly digital world.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This is information warfare on the cheap.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Net migration to the UK reached record levels in 2022, swelled by the war in Ukraine and the post-pandemic lifting of travel restrictions, but has since dropped off sharply.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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The war has sparked worldwide protests and brought accusations of genocide that Israel denies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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