toe-to-toe

adjective or adverb

ˈtō-ˌtə-ˈtō 

: slugging it out at or as if at close range

a toe-to-toe confrontation over the new policy

Synonyms

• eyeball-to-eyeball
• face-to-face
• head-on
• head-to-head
• mano a mano
• one-on-one

Examples of toe-to-toe in a Sentence

mom-and-pop grocery stores are usually wildly outmatched when they go toe-to-toe with large chain stores

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no real feedback when going toe-to-toe with Hell’s strongest soldiers. —Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025

After playing one of many Bob Dylans in I’m Not There (2007), Ledger went toe-to-toe with one of the other Dylans, Christian Bale, as the Joker to his Batman in The Dark Knight (2008). —Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025

And that’s a big miss for a star who should be going toe-to-toe with top stars like Cena, Reigns, etc. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

Kevin Willard prowled the sideline with his usual piercing gaze, red tie catching the eye as his Maryland men’s basketball team went toe-to-toe with No. 1 seed Florida in the Sweet 16. —Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1942, in the meaning defined above