save face
idiom
: to avoid having other people lose respect for oneself
He tried to save face by working overtime.
Examples of save face in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But as my friend told me recently, these sudden concessions to longstanding requests are seen as a nakedly transparent attempt to save face.
—
Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
This was a reveal in the final moments of the film, after the Thunderbolts battle Void and save civilians, in an attempt to save face, Valentina presents the group, unbeknownst to them, as the New Avengers in a surprise press conference.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
But Democrats familiar with internal deliberations say that maneuver is designed to save face.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2025
But a major factor of the night’s vote was Kyle, who was still struggling to hide his connection with Kamilla while trying to save face with his Strong Four alliance.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for save face
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Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
This was a reveal in the final moments of the film, after the Thunderbolts battle Void and save civilians, in an attempt to save face, Valentina presents the group, unbeknownst to them, as the New Avengers in a surprise press conference.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
But Democrats familiar with internal deliberations say that maneuver is designed to save face.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2025
But a major factor of the night’s vote was Kyle, who was still struggling to hide his connection with Kamilla while trying to save face with his Strong Four alliance.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for save face
Cite this Entry
“Save face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/save%20face. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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