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

confrontational

ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

confrontationalist

ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nə-list 

noun

confrontationist

ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nist 

noun or adjective

Synonyms

• ball game
• battle
• combat
• competition
• conflict
• contention
• contest
• dogfight
• duel
• face-off
• grapple
• match
• rivalry
• strife
• struggle
• sweepstakes
• sweep-stake
• tug-of-war
• war
• warfare

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

Thereafter, Maske arrived in the driveway, where there was a confrontation between Aanerud and Maske. —Tim Speier, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2024

Modern warfare now extends beyond physical confrontations to include cyber threats with widespread repercussions that extend beyond the battlefield. —Kevin Lynch, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Pine Ridge has a long history of violence — a 1973 confrontation at Wounded Knee between activists and federal officials left several people dead — as well as high levels of poverty. —Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024

Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 initiated a series of confrontations in the Middle East. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see confront

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing confrontation

• self-confrontation