head-on

[ hed-on, -awn ]

/ ˈhɛdˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

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See synonyms for head-on on Thesaurus.com

adjective

(of two objects) meeting with the fronts or heads foremost: a head-on collision.

facing the direction of forward motion or alignment; frontal.

characterized by direct opposition: a head-on confrontation.

adverb

with the front or head foremost, especially in a collision: She stepped out of the front door and walked head-on into her husband.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of head-on

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use head-on in a sentence

Just the hard-on before you shoot unarmed members of the public.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The gunman hardly broke stride as he nonetheless shot Merabet in the head, killing him.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

It was a brick wall that we turned into the on-ramp of a highway.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Madame Ratignolle, more careful of her complexion, had twined a gauze veil about her head.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Only in the carnage of the head, the tilt of the chin, was the insolence expressed that had made her many enemies.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Old Mrs. Wurzel and the buxom but not too well-favoured heiress of the house of Grains were at the head of the table.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
She sat straight up in bed, and jerked her hands to her head, and screamed long and terribly.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
A fancy came into my head that I would entertain the king and queen with an English tune upon this instrument.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift

British Dictionary definitions for head-on

head-on

adverb, adjective

with the front or fronts foremosta head-on collision

with directness or without compromisein his usual head-on fashion

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 Idioms and Phrases with head-on

head on

With the face or front first, as in The two bicycles collided head on. [Early 1800s]

In direct conflict, in open opposition, as in They decided to meet the opposition head on.

head-on

Origin of head-on

Words related to head-on

How to use head-on in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for head-on

Other Idioms and Phrases with head-on