head-to-head

[hed-tuh-hed]

adjective

1. in direct confrontation, opposition, or competition.

   a head-to-head battle between the two companies.

head-to-head

adjective

1. in direct competition

noun

1. a competition involving two people, teams, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of head-to-head¹

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Three of the world’s biggest media companies are going head-to-head for Warner Discovery, but this isn’t just about the size of the potential bids.

Read more on Barron's

Mater Dei won its first nine head-to-head meetings with Sierra Canyon before losing in four sets in the Southern Section Division 1 final Nov. 8 at Cerritos College.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I know that unnecessarily tall things are a pet peeve of Autumn’s, but I don’t understand why she seems so ready to go head-to-head with something this huge.

Read more on Literature

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games she broke the record for the women's C1–3 3,000m individual pursuit, a track event where cyclists race head-to-head on opposite sides of the track.

Read more on BBC

The 22-year-old Spaniard had already clinched the year-end world ranking going into Sunday's final, while a dominant performance in the US Open's showpiece match gave him a 10-5 lead over Sinner in their head-to-head record.

Read more on BBC