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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of showdown

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

Example Sentences

“Too many people are trying to turn a public disagreement into a grand showdown between the two. That is false,” Reinhardt said.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

Platner’s tattoo, then, is a particularly charged showdown between vectors of progressivism headed in opposite directions—the old world and the new.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

They have home advantage in this year's expected title showdown on 17 May, which could set up another barnstorming finale to the championship.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Details of the proposed showdown remain hazy, including whether the elder Trump brothers would fight together or separately, and where such an event might take place.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Tickets for the showdown at Midland High didn't go on sale until Tuesday afternoon, which explained why the first handful of Permian fans started camping outside the gate of Ratliff Stadium Sunday night.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• clash
• crisis