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confront

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //kənˈfɹənt// UK //kənfɹˈʌnt// con·front

v. to face a difficult person, problem, or situation directly. You use this when you stop avoiding something and deal with it honestly.

v. to face or address a challenge, problem, or person directly and defiantly. Transitive; implies a direct engagement with an obstacle or an unpleasant truth.


SIMPLE

I need to confront my boss about the schedule.

CONTEXTUAL

The community must confront the reality of rising sea levels before the next storm season begins.

COMPLEX

The protagonist is eventually forced to confront the moral consequences of his earlier decisions, leading to a tense and emotionally charged resolution in the final act.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle French confronter, borrowed from Medieval Latin cōnfrontāre, from con- + frontem (“front, forehead”).

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is frequently used in the passive voice when describing someone faced with an unavoidable situation.

Pitfall

confront with the problemconfront the problemConfront is a transitive verb and takes a direct object without a preposition. Use 'with' only in the passive construction 'to be confronted with'.

Idioms1 entry

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