confrontation
hostile meeting between opponents
A time when people or groups meet and strongly disagree in an angry or tense way, often face to face.
a confrontation between [people/groups] or with [someone]
- The protest ended in a violent confrontation between demonstrators and the police.
- Their long-running disagreement finally led to a heated confrontation in the office.
- The debate turned into a personal confrontation between the two candidates.
- To avoid a direct confrontation, management announced the changes by email.
- There were several armed confrontations along the border last year.
- There was a loud confrontation between the two neighbors.
- The meeting turned into a confrontation with the manager.
- Police tried to stop a confrontation between the two groups.
- He does not like confrontation and stays quiet in arguments.
- The game ended with a confrontation between the players.
direct facing of difficulty
A time when you must face a hard or unpleasant fact or problem and cannot avoid it.
a confrontation with [problem/situation/fact]
- The diagnosis forced him into a painful confrontation with his own mortality.
- Leaving home was her first real confrontation with adult responsibilities.
- Therapy often involves an honest confrontation with past trauma.
- The crisis led to a collective confrontation with the country’s history.
- The failure was a harsh confrontation with the limits of their strategy.
- Losing his job was a hard confrontation with reality.
- The exam was a confrontation with how little he had studied.
- Travel gave her a confrontation with different ways of living.
- The talk was a gentle confrontation with their mistakes.
- Her illness brought a sudden confrontation with death.
directly challenging someone’s behavior
In therapy, a way of speaking where the therapist clearly points out a person’s problem or wrong behavior, so the person can see it and change.
use [confrontation] as a therapeutic technique
- In some counseling styles, confrontation is used to help clients see the gap between their words and their actions.
- The therapist chose gentle confrontation rather than criticism to address his self-destructive behavior.
- Poorly timed confrontation in therapy can cause clients to shut down or leave treatment.
- The therapist used careful confrontation to talk about his drinking.
- In this kind of therapy, confrontation is a normal tool.
- Too much confrontation can make the client feel attacked.
- Good confrontation should be honest but kind.
- Base: confrontation
- Plural: confrontation, confrontations
avoid confrontation
1try not to have conflict
To do things so that you do not have a direct fight or argument with other people.
- She tends to avoid confrontation by agreeing with everyone.
- The government is trying to avoid confrontation with the protesters.
- He walked away to avoid confrontation with his neighbor.
come into confrontation with
1enter into conflict with
To get into a serious and tense fight or argument with a person, group, or authority.
- The union has come into confrontation with the company over pay cuts.
- Environmental activists often come into confrontation with local businesses.
- The new law may come into confrontation with the country’s constitution.
in direct confrontation with
1openly and directly opposing
Openly and clearly fighting or strongly disagreeing with a person, group, rule, or idea.
- The proposal is in direct confrontation with existing regulations.
- Her comments put her in direct confrontation with the rest of the team.
- The new policy is in direct confrontation with the company’s values.
open confrontation
1public, clearly visible conflict
A fight or strong argument that is clear to everyone and not hidden.
- The disagreement finally turned into open confrontation on social media.
- Both leaders are trying to avoid open confrontation before the election.
- Years of tension ended in open confrontation in the street.