confront

verb

kuhn-FRUNT/kənˈfɹʌnt/

7 meanings of confront

1
verbtransitive
To meet someone face to face, often to argue or fight.
Like standing nose to nose with someone right before an argument.
She had to confront the bully in front of everyone.
He confronted his brother about the broken window.
Similarchallenge, oppose
Oppositeavoid, evade, flee, shun
2
verbtransitive
To deal with a hard problem or situation directly.
Like fixing a leak instead of putting a bucket under it.
We must confront the issue before it gets worse.
The town confronted serious flooding last year.
Similartackle
Oppositeavoid, evade, ignore, sidestep
3
verbtransitive
To meet a problem or thing you did not expect.
Like turning a corner and finding a wall in your way.
Hikers can confront sudden storms in the mountains.
She confronted many problems on her first day.
Similarencounter, face, meet, experience
Oppositeavoid, escape
4
verbtransitive
To make someone face a fact or person directly.
Like holding up a mirror so someone has to look at themselves.
The teacher confronted him with the proof of cheating.
Lawyers can confront a witness with new evidence.
Similarpresent, challenge, face
5
verbintransitive
To start a fight or argument instead of staying calm.
Like two cats facing each other with their backs arched.
Sometimes it is better to talk than to confront.
The two groups confronted angrily in the street.
Similarclash, fight, argue, quarrel, spar
Oppositeretreat, withdraw, yield
6
verbtransitive
To place one thing facing another to show a difference.
Like holding two paint colors next to each other to see how different they look.
The editor confronted the two photos to show the change.
You can confront the old map with the new one.
Similarjuxtapose, contrast, compare, oppose
7
verbtransitive
To put two things side by side to compare them.
Like laying two photos next to each other to see which is better.
Teachers can confront two essays to judge them fairly.
She confronted the bill with her receipts.
Similarcompare, collate, juxtapose, contrast, check

Practice

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Origin

It comes from a Latin word made of "con-" and a root meaning "front" or "forehead," reaching English through French.