confront
/kənˈfrʌnt/
Reviewed on
Type
Verb
Meaning
To face someone directly and challenge them, often in an argumentative or hostile way.
She decided to confront her coworker about the missing files.
Why didn't you confront him when you had the chance?
To deal with a difficult situation or problem directly rather than avoiding it.
The city must confront its growing traffic problems before the summer begins.
He has been forced to confront his fears throughout his career.
To present someone with a problem, difficulty, or unpleasant reality that they must address.
A series of unexpected obstacles confronted the research team during the trial.
New teachers are often confronted with problems that no training prepared them for.
How it's used
When this means “deal with a problem directly”
- confront the issue
“confront it.”
Instead of ignoring the problem, the team decided to confront the issue.
When this means “challenge someone about a problem”
- confront a neighbor about the noise
“confront them about it.”
He finally confronted his neighbor about the loud music.
Collocations
- confront the truth
- confront the reality
- confront a crisis
- confront a challenge
- confront an accuser
- directly confront