confrontation
noun
con·fron·ta·tion
ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən 
: the act of confronting : the state of being confronted: such as
a
: a face-to-face meeting
a confrontation between the suspect and the victim
b
: the clashing of forces or ideas : conflict
a violent confrontation between rival gangs
c
: comparison
The flashbacks bring into meaningful confrontation present and past, near and far.—
R. J. Clements
R. J. ClementsSynonyms
Examples of confrontation in a Sentence
There were several violent confrontations between rival gangs.
He would prefer not to have a confrontation with the authorities.
a series of confrontations between residents and police
We want cooperation, not confrontation.
We seek to avoid military confrontation at all costs.
Recent Examples on the Web
The camera was quickly turned off, but Mason’s indelible memory of that confrontation lives on, not only in his mind but also in the new movie September 5, in limited theaters Dec. 13.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
For those families who consider gift giving a nonnegotiable aspect of the holidays, Ward encourages people to buy something small to avoid confrontations.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
But if there’s an inkling you might be faced with political or ideological confrontation, don’t force socializing.
—Julia Sullivan, SELF, 6 Dec. 2024
Like Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in Michael Mann’s Heat, Hoult and Law only come face to face with each other a few times before their penultimate confrontation.
—Ali Winston, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for confrontation 
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.
Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
For those families who consider gift giving a nonnegotiable aspect of the holidays, Ward encourages people to buy something small to avoid confrontations.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
But if there’s an inkling you might be faced with political or ideological confrontation, don’t force socializing.
—Julia Sullivan, SELF, 6 Dec. 2024
Like Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in Michael Mann’s Heat, Hoult and Law only come face to face with each other a few times before their penultimate confrontation.
—Ali Winston, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for confrontation
Dictionary Entries Near confrontation
Cite this Entry
“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share