English verb: confront | |||
1. | confront (competition) oppose, as in hostility or a competition | ||
Samples | You must confront your opponent. Jackson faced Smith in the boxing ring. The two enemies finally confronted each other. | ||
Synonyms | face | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | encounter, meet, play, take on | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | breast, front, match, oppose, pit, play off, take the bull by the horns | ||
2. | confront (communication) deal with (something unpleasant) head on | ||
Samples | You must confront your problems. He faced the terrible consequences of his mistakes. | ||
Synonyms | face, face up | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | approach, go about, set about | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | tackle, take on, undertake | ||
Verb group | confront, face, present | ||
Antonyms | avoid | ||
3. | confront (communication) present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize | ||
Samples | We confronted him with the evidence. He was faced with all the evidence and could no longer deny his actions. An enormous dilemma faces us. | ||
Synonyms | face, present | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Verb group | confront, face, face up | ||
4. | confront (stative) be face to face with | ||
Samples | The child screamed when he confronted the man in the Halloween costume. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | face, front, look | ||