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.
The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025 During the confrontation, the two men were shot, and both died on scene, officers said. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025 If the thief doesn’t retreat fast enough, the confrontation escalates into a full-on brawl. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025 The real lessons of Thucydides In today’s context, invoking the Thucydides Trap as a justification for confrontation with China may do more harm than good. Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 15 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2025.

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