showdown

American  

[shoh-doun] / ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn /

noun

showdowns plural

1. the laying down of one's cards, face upward, in a card game, especially poker.

2. a conclusive settlement of an issue, difference, etc., in which all resources, power, or the like, are used; decisive confrontation.

   An international showdown was inevitable.

   Synonyms:

   clash, encounter, climax, crisis

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showdown British  

/ ˈʃəʊˌdaʊn /

noun

1. informal an action that brings matters to a head or acts as a conclusion or point of decision

2. poker the exposing of the cards in the players' hands on the table at the end of the game

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• showdowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of showdown

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; show + down ¹

Related Words

• clash
• crisis