Dictionary.com
definitions

showdown

[ shoh-doun ]
/ ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR showdown ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the laying down of one's cards, face upward, in a card game, especially poker.
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.

RELATED CONTENT

Explain The Difference Between Enemy And NemesisWho do you think would win an epic showdown like this one? We often see these words used interchangeably, but there are some subtle differences between them.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

crisis, clash, culmination, climax

Nearby words

  1. showbiz,
  2. showboat,
  3. showbread,
  4. showcase,
  5. showd,
  6. shower,
  7. shower stall,
  8. shower tea,
  9. showerhead,
  10. showerproof

Origin of showdown

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; show + down1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for showdown

British Dictionary definitions for showdown

showdown

/ (ˈʃəʊˌdaʊn) /

noun

informal an action that brings matters to a head or acts as a conclusion or point of decision
poker the exposing of the cards in the players' hands on the table at the end of the game
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

Word Origin and History for showdown

showdown

n.

also show-down, 1873 in card-playing (especially poker), from show (v.) + down (adv.). Figurative sense of "final confrontation" is from 1904.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper