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
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.
In the ensuing violent confrontation, her son is killed. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025 The tense confrontation was the latest flashpoint between the Trump administration and Chicago over immigration policies — a potentially ominous sign for what’s ahead for the nation’s third-largest city, which has long been in the president’s crosshairs. Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025 Read more Employment Boss Tells Employee to CC Her Into Every Email, Doesn't Go As Planned Mahina added that such actions are a method of boundary-setting, especially when direct confrontation or quitting is not an option. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025 Dealing with the non-traditional global threats cited above will require cooperation with China, not confrontation. William Hartung, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for confrontation

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!