showdown
Americannoun
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showdowns
plural
noun
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informal an action that brings matters to a head or acts as a conclusion or point of decision
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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:
The capital was bracing for a fresh showdown on Monday, with Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, urging supporters to join a march to the Supreme Court.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Cougars get week off to prepare for Coliseum League showdown with King/Drew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Here is a look at the 2026 showdown by the numbers:
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Daryl Powell tapped into the historical significance of the Grand Final in the build up to the showdown, as winger Tom Johnstone explained before the showpiece event.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
For several weeks leading up to the game, the Red and Blue forces took part in a series of “spiral” exercises that set the stage for the showdown.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Over a summer of these mano a mano showdowns, the Gators’ strength numbers steadily climbed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The structure of the season has not always been clear for occasional viewers, while showdowns between the world's top athletes can be inconsistent.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
It includes many of the genre’s customary tropes, including intergenerational conflict, suspenseful showdowns, and self-absorbed, eccentric players for whom character may turn out to be destiny.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
Tampa Bay will face the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh travels to Chicago in Sunday showdowns between NFL division leaders while the New England Patriots seek a ninth consecutive victory.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 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.
