COMMON If two people, teams or organizations go head to head, they compete directly with each other. Two teams with three wins out of three go head to head at Kingsholm. As the two candidates go head to head for the White House, we look at some global issues that a president cannot ignore. Note: Verbs such as compete or be are sometimes used instead of go. Some Mexican businessmen fear they will lose out when they compete head to head with their US counterparts. Note: You can also talk about a head-to-head battle or competition. American Airlines is in a desperate head-to-head battle for custom with British Airways. As top athletes, we should be running against each other whenever possible. Head-to-head competition makes our sport what it is. Note: A competition between two people or two teams can be called a head to head. If I win this game, I'll be playing him in a head to head. Note: This expression is used mainly in talking about business and sport. Compare with head-to-head.