mano a mano

Noun

A head-on conflict or direct competition.

Japanese Meaning

直接対決 / 一対一の競争 / 頭と頭を合わせた競技・対決

The two startups went mano a mano for dominance in the smart home market.

その二つのスタートアップはスマートホーム市場での覇権を巡り一騎打ちを繰り広げた。

Sense（1）

A head-on conflict or direct competition.

The public debate became a heated mano a mano between the two leading candidates.