confront-v; 3 Senses

Sense Number 1: Oppose or approach, as in hostility or competition

Commentary: Syntax Includes: NP1[agent] CONFRONT NP2[patient] NP1[actor] CONFRONT NP2{actor}
NOTE: Hostile force may be abstract.

Examples:
I'm going to have to confront the angry mob alone.
You must confront your opponent.
Jackson confronted Smith in the boxing ring.
The child screamed when confronted by the man in the costume.
The overweight man confronted the last donut.

Mappings:
VerbNet: confront-98
FrameNet: Confronting_problem,Hostile_encounter
PropBank: confront.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 4

Sense Number 2: Approach someone else with an unpleasent issue, usu. to criticize

Commentary: Syntax Is: NP1[actor] CONFRONT NP2[actor] (PP NP3)
NOTE: does not imply that either NP is hostile or that a confrontation will take place.

Examples:
I'm going to have to confront Lucas about stealing my dollar.
We confronted him with the evidence.
He confronted her with his complaints.

Mappings:
VerbNet: confront-98
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: confront.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3

Sense Number 3: deal with something unpleasent head on

Commentary: Syntax Includes: NP1[agent] CONFRONT NP2[topic[abstract]]
NOTE: One argument is always abstract. This is a metaphorical usage of sense 1.

Examples:
We had never been confronted by such beauty.
Jara was confronted by complex moral decisions.
This is a problem most people hardly expect to confront.

Mappings:
VerbNet: confront-98
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2