as in toe-to-toe
in direct confrontation or competition
it's fitting that the two best teams during the regular season will go head-to-head for the championship
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of head-to-head
The American leads their head-to-head series 6–3, carrying confidence from a recent Wimbledon semifinal victory over Sabalenka.
—
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Before getting to head-to-head comparisons, the Legion Pro 7i is capable of 60fps-plus gaming in AAA titles, even at its higher native resolution.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Last year, the two went head-to-head on the penultimate Saturday of the year.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Pococo's offering to this head-to-head-to-head again delivers the goods, this time for its projection quality.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-to-head
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Before getting to head-to-head comparisons, the Legion Pro 7i is capable of 60fps-plus gaming in AAA titles, even at its higher native resolution.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Last year, the two went head-to-head on the penultimate Saturday of the year.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Pococo's offering to this head-to-head-to-head again delivers the goods, this time for its projection quality.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-to-head
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-to-head
Adverb
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Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter took it as a hostile act and approached Prescott, meeting face-to-face with him.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
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And that's a good thing, because the alternative is a face-to-face confrontation.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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By tackling academic challenges head-on, students can focus on growth instead of fear of failure.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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But anyone who responds to preventable tragedies like this—tragedies that over time begin to erode the very fabric of our country—by refusing to face the problem of gun violence and crime head-on is missing the point.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head-to-head.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-to-head. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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