confront
Americanverb (used with object)
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confronts,
present (3rd person singular)
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confronted,
past participle, past
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confronting
present participle
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to face in hostility or defiance; oppose.
The feuding factions confronted one another.
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to present for acknowledgment, contradiction, etc.; set face to face.
They confronted him with evidence of his crime.
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to face and deal with boldly or directly.
The city refuses to confront the real reason for the housing shortage.
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to stand or come in front of; stand or meet facing.
The two long-separated brothers confronted each other speechlessly.
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to be in one's way.
the numerous obstacles that still confronted him.
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to bring together for examination or comparison.
verb
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(usually foll by with) to present or face (with something), esp in order to accuse or criticize
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to face boldly; oppose in hostility
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to be face to face with; be in front of
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to bring together for comparison
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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confrontsimple
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confrontssimple
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have confrontedperfect
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has confrontedperfect
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am confrontingprogressive
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are confrontingprogressive
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is confrontingprogressive
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have been confrontingperfect progressive
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has been confrontingperfect progressive
Past
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confrontedsimple
-
had confrontedperfect
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was confrontingprogressive
-
were confrontingprogressive
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had been confrontingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of confront
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin confrontārī, equivalent to Latin con-, variant of intensive prefix com- + -frontārī, derivative of Latin frōns (stem front- ) “forehead”; see origin at con-, front
Explanation
Confront means either to face a situation that makes you uncomfortable, or to say something to someone about something they've done that bothers you. Rather than letting things go, when people are rude to you you should confront them. Confront derives from the Latin con- "with" and -front "front." You can confront a sad truth, you can confront a person by calling them on their behavior, you can confront someone with the fact that they have terrible breath. You can be confronted, too—on the trip through the mountains, we were confronted by the impassibility of the road.
Vocabulary lists containing confront
The Bill of Rights
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"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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Twelve Days in May
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That conclusion makes sense, but it raises a question that the Supreme Court may have to confront: Which state’s criminal code is the one that counts?
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Men, in particular, must challenge sexism, confront abusive behaviour and help create a culture where every woman and girl can live free from violence, abuse and fear.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
To appreciate just how complex that relationship can be, consider the obstacles you confront when trying to construct an econometric model to predict the stock market’s future return.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
The letter suggests that MLB and the players union must confront this “failure” during collective bargaining negotiations that began in May and likely will continue through the expiration of the current agreement Dec. 1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Carla was forced to confront the cop's face.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Carl Wilson reviews “Lost Weekend” and the ways it confronts grief, new love, and sudden fame.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Hades sequence gets much of its emotional weight from Page, as Sinon confronts Odysseus with the lie that sent him to his death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Richemont reported an acceleration in sales growth for its most recent quarter at a time when the luxury industry confronts challenging market conditions due to economic and geopolitical instability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
On “Never Be the Same,” Thompson confronts his resistance to change, whether it be during a relationship or in its aftermath.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
As soon as dinner is over, Grandma follows me to my room and confronts me.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
She also confronted the practical consequences of putting a new federal voting regime into place weeks before an election.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
And where Amanda, confronted with a case that bears the well-publicized trademarks of the Whisper Man—as well as details never revealed in the press—is forced to go to the recalcitrant Pete for help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
There’s an important aspect of specials, the business side of it, that I don’t think enough comics really get to learn until they’re confronted with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Another man believed to be the father, walking back to the table, confronted the elderly man.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
In the next section of this book, I’m going to tell three stories about people who confronted the consequences of first impressions and snap judgments.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
The software giant is confronting the AI tide by shaking itself up before someone else does.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Blaming a mysterious generation that simply doesn’t like alcohol is a much easier story than confronting rising prices, changing consumer behavior or whether people still feel they’re getting enough value from a night out.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
The challenge confronting Social Security has been obvious for several decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Jett almost went to Monroe because of the Vikings’ passing attack, but he remembers Marsh confronting him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Austin taught Fuller to take on the upper class in the black community with the same zeal and uncompromising spirit that he used in confronting the white power structure.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
