confronts

Meets head on

Confronts is the act of facing someone or something directly, especially in challenge or opposition.

You confront a problem by addressing it head-on rather than avoiding it.

To confront someone is to approach them about a difficult matter: She confronted him about the missing money.

A witness may be confronted with evidence that contradicts their testimony.

challenge

faces

Front of heads

tacklesEngages or brings down
addressesLocations for correspondence
deals withManages or addresses

grapples · encounters · meets · engages · takes on · squares off · stands up to · opposes · resists · defies

accusation

accuses

Alleges wrongdoing against

chargesAmounts owed or alleged
calls outPublicly criticizes or summons
exposesMakes visible or known

denounces · implicates · indicts · arraigns · censures · reproaches · blames · challenges · questions · interrogates

encounter

meets

Comes into contact

approachesWays of doing something
interceptsStops and captures mid-route
ambushesHidden surprise attacks

corners · waylay · accosts · stops · blocks · surprises · catches · finds · discovers · stumbles upon

reality

acknowledges

Confirms awareness of something

acceptsConsents to receive
recognizesPerceives as known
admitsAllows entrance or confesses

reckons with · comes to terms · faces up to · deals with · processes · absorbs · digests · internalizes · understands · realizes

Categories

deals withhandles, manages, addresses, tackles, copes
taking actionacts, moves, responds, take action, go for it
criticismscriticizes, disparages, condemns, denounces, censures
followschases, pursues, follows, hunts, seeks
takes onadopts, assumes, accepts, undertakes, shoulders

Opposites

engagement vs. avoidance

confrontsavoids

Deliberately stays away from

evades · dodges · ducks · sidesteps · shuns

directness vs. indirectness

confrontscircumvents

Evades by cleverness

works around · tiptoes around · beats around the bush · equivocates · hedges

challenge vs. submission

confrontsappeases

Satisfies to prevent conflict

accommodates · placates

Phrases

confront one's demonsWrestle with personal torments
final confrontationDecisive concluding clash
physical confrontationAggressive bodily conflict

Family

confront, confrontation, confronting, confrontational, confronted, confronter, nonconfrontational

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G