as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the softball rivals met in an epic confrontation on the last weekend of the summer
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Recent Examples of confrontations
You could also be tested by stressful confrontations, urging you to stand up for yourself without losing yourself in the process.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
For now, the Chamber’s legal challenge represents one of the most direct confrontations between the nation’s largest business lobby and a Republican administration over immigration policy in decades.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
What followed were years of confrontations and anger.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Unlike some citizen journalists, Parias would steer clear of interfering with law enforcement or engaging in confrontations of any kind, according to Ugarte and others familiar with his work.
—Morgan Chesky, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Rethinking Schools’ text justifies much of the Black Panther Party’s mission, despite its members’ open calls for violent revolution against the United States and their many armed, and occasionally deadly, confrontations with law enforcement and rival activists.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025
There are heated confrontations and a slap, and Alma ruins her shot at tenure after stealing a colleague's prescription pad to get more pain meds.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
In Khan Younis, the Mujaida clan has also been involved in armed confrontations.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Much like Dream Warriors, The Cell features confrontations within what are essentially dreamscapes, paralleling the way that Vecna enters in the minds of his victims in the fourth season of Stranger Things.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
For now, the Chamber’s legal challenge represents one of the most direct confrontations between the nation’s largest business lobby and a Republican administration over immigration policy in decades.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
What followed were years of confrontations and anger.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Unlike some citizen journalists, Parias would steer clear of interfering with law enforcement or engaging in confrontations of any kind, according to Ugarte and others familiar with his work.
—Morgan Chesky, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Rethinking Schools’ text justifies much of the Black Panther Party’s mission, despite its members’ open calls for violent revolution against the United States and their many armed, and occasionally deadly, confrontations with law enforcement and rival activists.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025
There are heated confrontations and a slap, and Alma ruins her shot at tenure after stealing a colleague's prescription pad to get more pain meds.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
In Khan Younis, the Mujaida clan has also been involved in armed confrontations.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Much like Dream Warriors, The Cell features confrontations within what are essentially dreamscapes, paralleling the way that Vecna enters in the minds of his victims in the fourth season of Stranger Things.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confrontations
Noun
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Beijing’s talent-friendly move could also give it a boost amid continuing trade tensions and tech rivalries with Washington, which has imposed export controls on chips and other advanced technology that are spurring China to develop its own.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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Lewis, a tight end at Wisconsin from 2004-07, traces his appreciation for rivalries to his Big Ten roots.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Despite years of legal battles over the relocations, more than 150,000 bodies were exhumed from the 1920s to the early 1940s for the trip to Colma, each in various stages of decay.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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As legal battles intensify, the administration faces mounting pressure to justify its actions and resolve a case that has tested the limits of executive authority over immigration enforcement.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Bieber’s close friend Kendall Jenner has been open about her own struggles with acne—recently, becoming an ambassador for Therabody’s new LED mask, the TheraFace Mask Glo.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
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And despite their struggles at times, the Dolphins haven’t wavered from investing in those young players in this 1-6 start.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Prediction Robertson and Hoover have one of the nation’s best quarterback duels, but a healthier Baylor squad pulls out a 38-35 win over the Horned Frogs.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
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Some questions are visually supported by photographs, others by sound, while other duels focus on open questions, multiple choice and association.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The official inauguration, originally scheduled for July 3, 2025, was postponed to the last quarter of the year due to regional conflicts.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Introduced by FilmNation last fall as a sales title at AFM, the film originally had Alan Ritchson attached to star opposite Midthunder, though he was reportedly forced to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His current tally of three goals in all competitions (one of which was a penalty at Burnley) is his lowest return at this stage of a season.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Shelton appeared in a total of 191 matches in two stints with Sporting KC across all competitions.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, the reality is that peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US and Europe are clearly stalled, if at worse dead with many contentions from both sides surrounding security concerns and, importantly, trade sanctions.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confrontations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confrontations. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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