showdown
Americannoun
-
showdowns
plural
noun
-
informal an action that brings matters to a head or acts as a conclusion or point of decision
-
poker the exposing of the cards in the players' hands on the table at the end of the game
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of showdown
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:
One of that film’s memorable scenes featured Kirby in a tense trivia telephone showdown with the Ghostface killer, rushing through the titles of several slasher films while attempting to save one of her friends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Will host a showdown against Huntington Beach on Aug. 26.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Keely Hodgkinson and expected gold medal rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol remain on course for their highly anticipated showdown after safely reaching Thursday's women's 800m semi-finals at the European Athletics Championships.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Anthony Joshua was flat on his back and a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury was hanging in the balance.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Over the next two and a half years, the tape machines picked up nearly four thousand hours of meetings and phone conversations—including an excellent record of the president’s imminent showdown with Daniel Ellsberg.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The fierce competition does not stop there, with world 800m champion Lilian Odira and Hodgkinson's training partner Georgia Hunter Bell among those who could also prove key players in those global showdowns.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers lost on Sunday to miss out on clinching NFL playoff berths, setting up a pair of winner-take-all showdowns next week for post-season spots.
From Barron's ● Dec. 28, 2025
He was also asked what he had learned in his career about title showdowns.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
For four fan bases that have little to do with each other, a weekend of billionaire vs. billionaire showdowns isn’t exactly the stuff of long-term bragging rights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
No matter how strong I holds, it looks like on the showdowns they outlucks me every time.
From Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis
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.
