Synonyms

confront

American

[kuhn-fruhnt] / kənˈfrʌnt /

verb (used with object)

to face in hostility or defiance; oppose.

The feuding factions confronted one another.
to present for acknowledgment, contradiction, etc.; set face to face.

They confronted him with evidence of his crime.
to face and deal with boldly or directly.

The city refuses to confront the real reason for the housing shortage.
to stand or come in front of; stand or meet facing.

The two long-separated brothers confronted each other speechlessly.
to be in one's way.

the numerous obstacles that still confronted him.
to bring together for examination or comparison.

confront British

/ kənˈfrʌnt /

verb

(usually foll by with) to present or face (with something), esp in order to accuse or criticize
to face boldly; oppose in hostility
to be face to face with; be in front of
to bring together for comparison

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing confront

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"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

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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.

We’re bringing you profiles of the political figures reshaping their parties and defining the choices Americans confront in the 2026 midterm elections.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Fujimori, seeking the presidency in her fourth attempt, has campaigned on a hardline security platform, promising military deployments and tougher prisons to confront rising extortion and violent crime.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The next blockbuster IPOs may force investors to confront an uncomfortable truth: Index investing is not nearly as passive as many assume.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Afterwards, we tried to confront him about these statements, but his security blocked our way.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

In part, the bonding occurred because the correspondence of their twilight years permitted both sages to confront and argue out their different notions of the history they had lived and made together.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023