face-to-face

adverb or adjective

ˈfās-tə-ˈfās 

1

: within each other's sight or presence

met and talked face-to-face

a face-to-face consultation

2

: in or into direct contact or confrontation

came face-to-face with the problem

Synonyms of face-to-face

• personally

Examples of face-to-face in a Sentence

I won't believe that accusation until I meet with him face-to-face and ask him myself

came face-to-face with her lifelong fear of flying even before the plane left the runway

Recent Examples on the Web

As a decapitated Louis (Jacob Anderson) came face-to-face with a vengeful Armand (Assad Zaman) — who really wanted an apology from his former lover — Lestat hung out in a bowling bag. — Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Leaders must be able to read the room, navigate difficult conversations, build trust face-to-face and understand what their nonverbal communication is saying. — Susan Curtin, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Newcastle feared an even more punitive settlement and spent months in dialogue and face-to-face meetings with UEFA officials to try to reduce the severity of the punishments. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026

As seen in a video posted by Fanatics on Instagram and X, the former NFL quarterback traded words with Paul face-to-face before slapping him, and was ultimately pulled away. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for face-to-face

• aromatase
• oligoclase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace

Kids Definition

face-to-face

adverb or adjective

ˌfās-tə-ˈfās

1

: within each other's close presence

met face-to-face

2

: in or into direct contact or confrontation

face-to-face with a crisis