confrontation

noun

con·​fron·​ta·​tion ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce confrontation (audio)
: 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 adjective
confrontationist noun or adjective

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 Under the circumstances, mistakes and misperception could prove fatal even if—as is likely—neither side desires a confrontation. George Beebe, TIME, 1 July 2024 The debate over parental notification policies in California schools reached a boiling point Thursday morning as two lawmakers nearly had a physical confrontation on the Assembly floor. Lindsey Holden, Sacramento Bee, 28 June 2024 If there is a point in the month where some of this tension could boil over, be on the lookout for hot tempers, jealousies, and confrontations mid-month, particularly between July 11 and 15. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 June 2024 Naylor, who is the shark research director at the University of Florida, said that orca and shark confrontations typically happen far offshore, giving sharks a chance to hide or escape. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for confrontation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confrontation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see confront

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of confrontation was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near confrontation

Cite this Entry

“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation

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