as in face-to-face
in direct confrontation or competition
bragged that no one could go one-on-one with her in a game of darts and win
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-on-one
Adverb
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Any terms related to the loss of land, for example, can be resolved only when Zelensky and Putin meet face-to-face.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026 -
Duren turned around to get face-to-face with Diabate and the two appeared to butt heads.—
Steve Reed,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Embracing those expectations rather than fighting them, Kok extended her two-year-plus unbeaten streak at her sport’s shortest distance Sunday, adding a gold medal and the Olympic record to her world mark, beating Jackson head-to-head in the final heat and relegating Leerdam to the silver.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Based on the committee’s projections, the Huskies could go head-to-head with Ralph’s squad in the Final Four.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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One man died as the result of a head-on traffic collision Sunday in Washtenaw County, the Michigan State Police reported.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Speaking head-on to the camera, Porizkova seemed to call out anyone who implies a teenager is old enough to be considered not a child.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“One-on-one.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-on-one. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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