toe-to-toe
adjective or adverb
: slugging it out at or as if at close range
a toe-to-toe confrontation over the new policy
Synonyms
Examples of toe-to-toe in a Sentence
mom-and-pop grocery stores are usually wildly outmatched when they go toe-to-toe with large chain stores
Recent Examples on the Web
Tonight was the quarter-finals, and, as usual, the two celebrities with the least amount of votes went toe-to-toe in a smackdown.
—
Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 May 2024
This feud has shown Drake trying his hardest to go toe-to-toe with a true peer (as opposed to a challenger) for multiple bouts—and alienating a large swath of his would-be collaborators in hip-hop in the process.
—TIME, 7 May 2024
These siblings go toe-to-toe As for Emma Trenchard, who picks up crayons with her toes, she's always felt close to her older brother Tommy.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 3 May 2024
No Princess Diaries fan was surprised by the illustrious career Hathaway went on to have; her star power was immediately apparent, and going toe-to-toe with Andrews is no small feat.
—Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024
Two people stand toe-to-toe and pummel each other bloody.
—Stayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Ava went toe-to-toe with her sorority sister nemesis Crystal, played by Tatyana Ali, in episode eight this season.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
In another image, the dragon Pokémon can be seen going toe-to-toe with Ceruledge, which is known to be the partner Pokémon of the villainous Explorer Amethio.
—EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024
Banks and direct lenders are going toe-to-toe to finance deals such as the buyout of Sanofi’s consumer health division and the potential buyout of Apleona Group GmbH.
—Jill R. Shah, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 May 2024
This feud has shown Drake trying his hardest to go toe-to-toe with a true peer (as opposed to a challenger) for multiple bouts—and alienating a large swath of his would-be collaborators in hip-hop in the process.
—TIME, 7 May 2024
These siblings go toe-to-toe As for Emma Trenchard, who picks up crayons with her toes, she's always felt close to her older brother Tommy.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 3 May 2024
No Princess Diaries fan was surprised by the illustrious career Hathaway went on to have; her star power was immediately apparent, and going toe-to-toe with Andrews is no small feat.
—Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024
Two people stand toe-to-toe and pummel each other bloody.
—Stayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Ava went toe-to-toe with her sorority sister nemesis Crystal, played by Tatyana Ali, in episode eight this season.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
In another image, the dragon Pokémon can be seen going toe-to-toe with Ceruledge, which is known to be the partner Pokémon of the villainous Explorer Amethio.
—EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024
Banks and direct lenders are going toe-to-toe to finance deals such as the buyout of Sanofi’s consumer health division and the potential buyout of Apleona Group GmbH.
—Jill R. Shah, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toe-to-toe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near toe-to-toe
Cite this Entry
“Toe-to-toe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toe-to-toe. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share