Meaning

1. to confront, to face, to stand up to, (a person or force aggressively)
2. to face, to confront, to address, to deal with, to meet, to tackle, to cope with, to handle, to contend, to contend with (e.g. reality, an issue, a problem)
3. to counter, to combat (e.g. a threat, terrorism, criminal activity)
4. to pit (two sides against each other)
5. to take on, to face off, to face off against, to fight, to engage, to clash (e.g. take on somebody in a challenge) (+ a)
6. to face, to be facing, to be dealing with, to be up against (+ a)