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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confrontation
But Hagens is not designed to initiate physical confrontation.
—
Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
In the early-morning hours of July 26, a confrontation outside the LoVe nightclub, located on the corner of Fourth and Elm Street in the city's downtown business district, led to a horrific beatdown that was captured on video.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Providing the exact location of a potential burglary, suspect description and vehicle description (including the make/model/color of the car) will help officers respond quickly before the confrontation escalates to prevent future crime.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors, malicious use of a telecommunications device in the context of a domestic relationship and trespassing for his post-firing confrontation with Shiver.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
In the early-morning hours of July 26, a confrontation outside the LoVe nightclub, located on the corner of Fourth and Elm Street in the city's downtown business district, led to a horrific beatdown that was captured on video.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Providing the exact location of a potential burglary, suspect description and vehicle description (including the make/model/color of the car) will help officers respond quickly before the confrontation escalates to prevent future crime.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors, malicious use of a telecommunications device in the context of a domestic relationship and trespassing for his post-firing confrontation with Shiver.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confrontation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontation
Noun
-
In December, Chelsea’s players looked inexplicably unprepared for the intensity of this long-time rivalry and were caught out via defensive errors.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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They also are slotted to host an ACC opponent, probably the Blue Devils, and an annual rivalry game against Florida State (on the road this year).—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Voters will probably be bombarded with political ads and arguments from opposing sides as the battle intensifies.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Koh-i-Noor then spent 70 years in Afghanistan, where it was passed around by leaders who won bloody battles against one another.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Plenty of Sellers’ struggles could be pinned on offensive play calling and a lack of polished talent around him.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Water Tower Place is about to get a complete $170 million makeover, a big step toward its recovery after years of financial struggle and the loss of several major tenants.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Prediction markets have increased competition but have not significantly slowed the industry’s growth.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Only weeks remain before hundreds of thousands of soccer fans are expected to start descending on Kansas City for the first game, on June 16, of the month-long 2026 FIFA World Cup competition.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dozens of onboard cameras capture the action during tight high-speed duels, while sensors stream more than 35,000 data points per second to onshore coaches.—
G.W. Allen,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Havertz’s smart movement, greater technical security, and a bit more nous in the duels help those around him to play better.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But none of these conflicts affected so many corners of the world as swiftly as the Iran war.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
While they are all expected to leave interest rates unchanged, investors are keen to know how officials view the inflation threat posed by the oil shock stemming from the US-Iran conflict.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Also, American defense technology company Anduril Industries just announced a strategic partnership with the Ukrainian drone detection and electronic warfare firm Kara Dag Technologies.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Sue Halpern assesses the current threat of digital warfare and how the Administration may have weakened American defenses.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Khanna said the war will increase costs by $5,000 for American households.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Hegseth also had contentious exchanges about the war in Iran, trading broadsides with Democratic lawmakers over the strategic direction of the war and costs to Americans at home and abroad.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontation. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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