NBC's Lester Holt moderated the frequently contentious debate at Hofstra University in Long Island, which was divided into six 15-minute segments, though the segments often went over the time allotment.
The topics were "America's Direction" (the state of the union), "Achieving Prosperity" (the economy), and "Securing America" (national security and foreign policy).
The showdown was filled with back-and-forth.
We've collected all of the most buzzed-about quotes from the debate here.