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Definition of facenext
1
as in to front
to stand or sit with the face or front toward the house faces the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean

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as in to encounter
to enter into contest or conflict with the Boston Red Sox were eager to face their traditional rivals, the Yankees, in the play-offs

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1
as in looks
the front part of the head the criminal hid his face from the news cameras as he slumped into the patrol car

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2
as in front
a forward part or surface the face of the store building has been altered many times over the years to meet changing tastes and needs

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3
as in frown
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval it's rude to make a face when your dinner hostess offers you broccoli

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4
as in exterior
an outer part or layer a much-needed sandblasting revealed that the face of the old stone church is actually a pinkish granite

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5
as in look
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling a rainy day is no excuse for just moping around with a long face, so let's do something

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of face
Verb
The film follows a group of 300 Spartan warriors facing overwhelming odds. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 The move to drop Papa from the radio home of both the San Francisco Giants and 49ers comes as the sports broadcasting icon faces a battle with cancer. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
The faces of club legends Sir Tom Finney, Bill Shankly and Alan Kelly are picked out using different colour seats in three of the stands, while there cannot be a finer statue in football than the one outside honouring Finney, aptly titled ‘Splash’. Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 There are a lot of new faces; some old, familiar faces are nowhere to be found; and some of those that did return have new jobs. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for face
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face
Verb
  • Their group and one fronted by Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie were considered the frontrunners, according to multiple sources.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Consider heading all the way north along the sand for the pretty trails and quiet beach fronting Hanna Park, or go south to the quarter-mile-long Jax Beach Pier, where surfers catch waves and anglers cast out lines.
    Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The ladies all get on a yacht and are confronted with cardboard cutouts of them in their very first season.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As states confront rising electricity demand and growing concerns about affordability, community solar offers one practical way to expand energy options while delivering benefits to households and local communities.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Seed Studio Landscape Design used medium-width horizontal panels on the privacy fencing of this elegant backyard grill space and layered on thinner wood slats in the same warm tone to clad the outdoor kitchen.
    Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The same went for the team’s suggestion to clad the powder room in tree bark, a nod to rustic Adirondack camp interiors.
    Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Students will encounter larger classes, fewer course offerings and a more transient instructional workforce.
    Francisco Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, he's encountered some of the challenges that come with spending weeks on two wheels.
    Marlee Ginter, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But more than a decade on, follow-through looks underwhelming.
    Nick Allardice, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Music and makeup fans were equally obsessed with the latest installment in Larsson and Sinot's increasingly stunning concert looks.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • One such building—the impressive Art-Nouveau mansion that now houses the Egyptian consulate—sits majestically beside the bay, handsomely showing off its columned façade and ornate wrought-iron railings following a complete restoration in 2010.
    CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The façade was lighted from below by the exterior lights that specified the building, separated it from the other night buildings.
    Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Lee indulges that emotional ambiguity, the way the pedal steel can blur the distinction between a frown and a smile.
    Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
  • Numbers might be up, but frowns are also up.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • Staff quietly hurried to tape falling signage to the walls, troubleshoot the jumbotron and cook burgers and hot dogs as rain seeped through the grated ceilings of the exterior walkways.
    Jaclyn Licht, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The carry-on, medium, and large suitcase all feature durable hardshell exteriors, TSA locks, and spinner wheels that make weaving through crowded terminals much easier.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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