poker face

noun

plural poker faces
: an inscrutable face that reveals no hint of a person's thoughts or feelings
Wright has a terrific poker face—I could see how he was able to keep things a secret right up through publication.Lawrence Weschler
Work is fun. I can lose myself in it, I laugh a lot, I feel like I'm very much myself here; there's no poker face.Jerry Useem
especially : one used strategically during a poker game
… a good "poker face" is considered a prerequisite for a successful gambling career. Sarah Ferguson
Fifteen-year-old Matthew Siegel says learning to keep a poker face while playing Texas Hold 'em with his grandfather … has served him well at school. The Wall Street Journal
poker-faced adjective
… the jurors, uniformly poker-faced through-out the proceedings, were giving no indication of whether they accepted that characterization. Lawrence Weschler

Examples of poker face in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The almost wordless Belichick was the perfect poker face of the emergent Patriots movement that would dominate the once staid N.F.L. for nearly two decades. Bill Pennington, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 In 2024, Lady Gaga's poker face will be televised — and bejeweled at the Super Bowl. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2024 Pisces February 19 – March 20 Keeping up a poker face may feel necessary throughout your day. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2024 Galitzine is a deft impersonator, with an old-school style of music-hall precision, and Cruz conceals secrets with a wry poker face, in the manner of Aubrey Plaza. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2023 Kaley Cuoco is putting on her poker face for Tom Pelphrey! Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 29 July 2023 No wonder the market isn't impressed by his poker face. WSJ, 27 July 2023 The powerful executive could have easily kept a poker face and distanced himself from The Flash considering it was made by the previous regime. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023 Tip: Use your poker face! Anne Nickoloff, cleveland, 14 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poker face.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

poker entry 2; from the poker player's need to conceal emotions during play

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poker face was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near poker face

Cite this Entry

“Poker face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poker%20face. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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