showdown

American  

[shoh-doun] / ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn /

noun

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of showdown

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

Example Sentences

So, a mix of bottle and luck got them to the big showdown against Denmark where sheer class and never-say-die took them the rest of the way.

From BBC

Antique maps and other geological archives are at the heart of an increasingly ugly showdown between Belgium’s colonial museum and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

From The Wall Street Journal

A showdown against defending City champion El Camino Real on Tuesday didn’t start or end well for the Patriots.

From Los Angeles Times

And, on Sunday, it will face Kansas in a premier March Madness showdown of heavyweight coaches.

From The Wall Street Journal

The CIF championship was not on the line, but it may as well have been Friday night in the annual boys’ volleyball showdown between Mira Costa and Loyola.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clash
• crisis