mano a mano

[ Spanish mah-naw ah mah-naw; English mah-nohuh-mah-noh ]

noun,plural ma·nos a ma·nos

[Spanish mah-naws ah mah-naws; English mah-nohuh-mah-nohz, mah-nohzuh-mah-nohz] /Spanish ˈmɑ nɔs ɑ ˈmɑ nɔs; English ˈmɑ noʊ ə ˈmɑ noʊz, ˈmɑ noʊz ə ˈmɑ noʊz/ for 1, 2.

(italics)Spanish. a corrida in which two matadors alternate in fighting two or three bulls each.
a direct confrontation or conflict; head-on competition; duel.

adjective

being or resembling such a confrontation: a mano a mano struggle in the courtroom between two superb criminal lawyers.

adverb

in direct competition or rivalry: a brash newcomer in tennis taking on the reigning champion mano a mano.

Origin of mano a mano

<Spanish: on an equal footing, without advantage (to either of two contestants); literally, hand to hand

Words Nearby mano a mano

How to use mano a mano in a sentence

Clearly, this pushed the mano a mano contest to a new level of provocation that Branson, always a consummate carnival barker, was unable to ignore.
Richard Branson's Big Space D*ck Contest with Bezos is Reckless—and Potentially Deadly | Clive Irving | July 2, 2021 | The Daily Beast
CNN wants emotions, theatrics, the stamping of feet, mano-a-mano anger, and outrage contests.
The President Vs. the Press | Eric Alterman | March 25, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
“These mano-a-mano things always appeal to sports fans,” says Don Ohlmeyer, the former president of NBC Sports.
The Game That Turned March Mad | Seth Davis | March 17, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST

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