as in rivalries
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 confrontations
This week’s quiz spotlights country stars and celebrity confrontations.
—
Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Both men were hospitalized after the shooting; community members describe Eatherly as someone whose provocative actions have intensified tensions and dangerous confrontations.
—Kristin M. Hall, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Eatherly is known online for livestreaming his racist confrontations with Black pedestrians.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Critics, including humanitarian groups, say the arrangement has fueled tensions with rescue organizations and exposed migrants to abuse when they are intercepted and returned to Libya, while also leading to confrontations between Libyan patrols and NGO vessels.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
The consultants have offered better ways to de-escalate confrontations with residents without resorting to the use of restraints such as the ones used on Moore, Brezee said.
—Arkansas Online, 6 May 2026
There were a lot of confrontations near here between the military, the police and the guerrillas.
—Andy Court, CBS News, 3 May 2026
The sharp debate in Union Park is only the latest in a series of thorny confrontations about how best to manage homelessness in the Central Florida region, where housing costs are high, shelter space is scarce, and residents are concerned about people living in public spaces.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
The massive expansion of enforcement operations drew local resistance from activists, leading to clashes with federal agents and the deaths of residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti during confrontations with ICE and Border Patrol.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Both men were hospitalized after the shooting; community members describe Eatherly as someone whose provocative actions have intensified tensions and dangerous confrontations.
—Kristin M. Hall, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Eatherly is known online for livestreaming his racist confrontations with Black pedestrians.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Critics, including humanitarian groups, say the arrangement has fueled tensions with rescue organizations and exposed migrants to abuse when they are intercepted and returned to Libya, while also leading to confrontations between Libyan patrols and NGO vessels.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
The consultants have offered better ways to de-escalate confrontations with residents without resorting to the use of restraints such as the ones used on Moore, Brezee said.
—Arkansas Online, 6 May 2026
There were a lot of confrontations near here between the military, the police and the guerrillas.
—Andy Court, CBS News, 3 May 2026
The sharp debate in Union Park is only the latest in a series of thorny confrontations about how best to manage homelessness in the Central Florida region, where housing costs are high, shelter space is scarce, and residents are concerned about people living in public spaces.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
The massive expansion of enforcement operations drew local resistance from activists, leading to clashes with federal agents and the deaths of residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti during confrontations with ICE and Border Patrol.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontations
Noun
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One of the fiercest divisional rivalries in the NFL will have a new look to it.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Cherfilus-McCormick referenced a previous interaction with Wasserman Schultz, signaling that political rivalries could intensify if both enter the race for District 20.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Noun
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But if both of those battles end up as washes, the Knicks could pull away in this series because their work on the glass earns them extra shots.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Trustees increasingly want leaders capable of navigating not only fundraising and research growth, but also the political battles reshaping higher education.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Those struggles can manifest in a range of ways, McClanahan said, from finding new coping mechanisms to replace food to ongoing body image concerns, even after weight loss.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
14 May 2026
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During the meeting, teams spoke about their struggles to support their travel to competitions.—
Katie Servas,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Most of those have come from physical duels in the box but a few were the result of frustration, too.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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The team won 64% of its duels overall and 81% of aerial duels while making more tackles, interceptions, clearances and more.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
While the Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark interest rate on hold so far in 2026, inflation surged in March and April on the back of a rising oil price, overseas conflicts and geopolitical uncertainty.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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Recent conflicts have accelerated interest in unmanned maritime warfare.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Noun
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As YouTube has invested in its lean-back offerings designed for TV viewers, ESPN has brought more longform and live content to the platform, including live streams of elite youth basketball, flag football and volleyball competitions.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
15 May 2026
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Cooking competitions bring together local chefs and home cooks, who showcase their creativity with traditional recipes and creative interpretations of the fruit.—
Taryn White,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The main contentions were the state not fully funding public schools according to the state’s funding formula and an additional $10 million to support the Missouri Scholars Program, which can go toward students in private schools.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
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The passing of time is the only thing that will reveal the veracity of their contentions and what some of the underlying numbers suggest regarding the quality of their at-bats not being reflected in their production.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confrontations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontations. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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