as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the annual fall face-off between these traditional rivals is a big event for both football-mad colleges
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of face-off
Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Thurmond did not meet the polling threshold to qualify for Tuesday’s debate or an NBC/Telemundo face-off taking place on Wednesday.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks have faced off across the same South Philly intersection for decades—and that's just the starting point.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
All hell broke loose at Thursday's press conference when Khamzat Chimaev and firebrand Sean Strickland nearly turned a routine face-off into a street fight.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Thurmond did not meet the polling threshold to qualify for Tuesday’s debate or an NBC/Telemundo face-off taking place on Wednesday.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Verb
While Gauff and Potapova battled, PSG, France’s top soccer team, faced off against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Final.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks have faced off across the same South Philly intersection for decades—and that's just the starting point.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
-
Clash in Italy will be one of the biggest premium live events for WWE in the wake of WrestleMania 42, featuring four title matches and a rivalry renewed.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
-
These two had a strong match at Full Gear 2025, and on a stage as large as Wembley Stadium, there is plenty of reason to revisit the rivalry.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Guests and locals compete for a time slot where treatments dip into jars of Valmont and Biologique Recherche products.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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Brad Sugars, a business coach and founder of ActionCOACH, added that as entry-level opportunities decline for recent college graduates, teenagers are also competing with them.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Noun
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On May 18, two armed teenagers entered the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing an armed security guard in a gun battle, then fatally shooting two men cornered in the parking lot, police said.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Staal made it 2-0 a minute and change later by winning a big boy net-front battle with Josh Anderson to pound in his second of the playoffs and continue his line’s dominance over the Canadiens.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In their court papers, the Iskander attorneys contend that the 62-year-old Grossman tried to flee the scene and likely would have succeeded had her vehicle not automatically shut down due to it sensing the massive impact that had just occurred.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
26 May 2026
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Some legal experts contend that ghost job postings may violate existing federal consumer protection law enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.—
Michelle Travis,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Diminutive midfielder Joao Neves has engaged in the most duels (134) of any midfielder in the Champions League this season.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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LaBonta completed 23 of 29 passes from the middle of the park, put in four tackles, made two interceptions and two ball recoveries, and won five of her eight duels with players, all while avoiding committing a single foul.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Its most recent 54th run was record-breaking, the biggest marathon in history, with 132 countries represented, 59,226 finishers and by far the highest number of spectators in every neighborhood who supported and cheered runners on a route that races through all five boroughs.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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On the lawn of Jim Gilliam Park on Saturday, supporters from across the city chanted Pratt’s name, took selfies in front of black campaign vans with his hummingbird logo and ate cookies decorated with his face as kids raced around on scooters and played with the handful of dogs attending.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Pressure is a privilege and, in our case, the players took those competitions seriously.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
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These high-rye bourbons are consistent gold medalists in international spirit competitions and all retail for under $50.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Many of us had been guessing that the centerpiece shoot-out confrontation of the third season would be between Laurie and Alamo’s crews.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
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Clovis Police Department vehicles were parked in the vicinity, and multiple officers came to oversee the confrontation when the shouting began.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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