lose face
idiom
: to lose other people's respect
She was afraid that she would lose face if she admitted her mistake.
Examples of lose face in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Tigers, meanwhile, will continue to lose face.
—
Jim Bowden, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Nor will Beijing want to lose face by withdrawing if the United States or other foreign powers line up to defend Taiwan, because doing so would roil nationalist sentiment among a population taught that the party will defend the nation’s core interests.
—Joel Wuthnow, Foreign Affairs, 12 Sep. 2025
Too many leaders would rather lose sleep than lose face.
—Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The Giants, to not lose face, were forced to sign L.T.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2024
Oxfordians propose that an aristocrat would lose face by publicly writing for a theater company — tradesmen, after all.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2023
This made a deal exceedingly difficult, because Ukraine cannot live with Russia annexing their territory, and Russia would lose face giving it back.
—Jack Nasher, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jim Bowden, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Nor will Beijing want to lose face by withdrawing if the United States or other foreign powers line up to defend Taiwan, because doing so would roil nationalist sentiment among a population taught that the party will defend the nation’s core interests.
—Joel Wuthnow, Foreign Affairs, 12 Sep. 2025
Too many leaders would rather lose sleep than lose face.
—Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The Giants, to not lose face, were forced to sign L.T.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2024
Oxfordians propose that an aristocrat would lose face by publicly writing for a theater company — tradesmen, after all.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2023
This made a deal exceedingly difficult, because Ukraine cannot live with Russia annexing their territory, and Russia would lose face giving it back.
—Jack Nasher, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Lose face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose%20face. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
