confront
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to meet someone face to face to talk about a problem or a disagreement.
to face someone in a direct or hostile manner, typically to challenge them or address a grievance.
Simple“She decided to confront her manager about the unfair work schedule.”
In context“The protesters gathered outside the embassy to confront the ambassador regarding the recent changes in diplomatic policy.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the person being faced.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to deal with a difficult situation or a problem instead of ignoring it.
to acknowledge and deal with a difficult situation, fact, or problem.
Simple“We need to confront the fact that our current plan is not working.”
In context“The administration must confront the systemic issues within the healthcare department before the crisis worsens further.”
UsageOften used with abstract nouns like 'reality', 'truth', or 'problem'.
SynonymsAntonymsignoreshirk - 03 C1 Advanced
to show someone evidence or a problem so they have to deal with it.
to bring someone face to face with evidence, a crime, or a difficult truth.
Simple“The police confronted the suspect with the video evidence from the shop.”
In context“During the cross-examination, the lawyer confronted the witness with a series of contradictory statements from his previous deposition.”
UsageCommonly follows the pattern 'confront someone with something'.
“The recall reclassification comes as the Trump administration confronts a string of health crises involving food safety in the US.”
“As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they're getting dangerously hot.”
From Middle French confronter, borrowed from Medieval Latin cōnfrontāre, from con- + frontem (“front, forehead”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.