FACE OFF Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

face-off 1 of 2

noun

ˈfās-ˌȯf

Definition of face-off

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

face off

2 of 2

verb

as in to compete

to engage in a contest eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-off

Noun

For national tournaments, the corollary is how poorer countries always have to match up against richer ones for regional face-offs and qualifiers that culminate in the quadrennial dream that is the World Cup. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 In this unofficial but unavoidable national holiday face-off between two people who have been public in their dislike for each other, Swift gets to fire the first shot. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

Verb

In it, Giamatti and Moore are facing off, as Jerry pushes Mona to go deeper into her character. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 7 Sep. 2026 The short sneak peek packed a punch, featuring footage of the iconic video game characters coming to life to face off against one another. — Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for face-off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off

Noun

The Boot Bowl rivalry, which began in 2012, doesn’t have the longest history, but for fans in Burleson, few events bring the town together quite like it.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Duane Davis guilty in murder of Tupac Shakur Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was murdered in Las Vegas, a jury has provided some closure in the saga of rivalry, revenge and retribution in the hip-hop world.

— Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Verb

For most of modern business history, organizations competed on information.

— Nick Leighton, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
This year’s Emmy Awards ceremony will see actors, directors, writers and more from drama shows like The Pitt and Pluribus as well as comedies like Widow’s Bay and Hacks compete for trophies.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of compete

Noun

Don’t shrink to avoid disagreement, but don’t make everything a battle for control either.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Mustafa, who was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled to Norway as a child, said the film was inspired by his encounter with a female Peshmerga sniper during the 2014 frontline battles, as female Kurdish fighters countered Islamic State attacks.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of battle

Verb

Kaepernick contends Roc Nation went as far as trying to plant stories about him in the media.

— Michel Martin, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
As Sportico explained last week, the conference contends that it and the other 15 member schools should not be compelled to associate with a school that plays athletes who are in violation of conference eligibility rules.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of contend

Noun

The new poll from Focaldata/Financial Times, released over Labor Day weekend, shows former Vice President Kamala Harris and current Vice President JD Vance heading for a potential duel in 2028 for the White House.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Harry Coyle, an NBC Sports staff director, cemented his place in sports history with his brainstorm in 1955 that a camera placed just right in center field would better capture a 360-view of the duel between the batter and the pitcher.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of duel

Verb

Bangladesh has been racing to halt the outbreak's spread since March, when more than 100 children died in less than a month.

— JULHAS ALAM, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Thomas, who signed with Seattle in free agency, raced over at just the right time to break up a deep pass intended for Doubs.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of race

Noun

Their concern goes beyond competition over who solves a problem first.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2026
As using live musicians becomes increasingly less common, the dance competition is a bright spot, which one of the largest, if not the largest, live bands on screen today.

— Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

But this sleekly miserable noir about the aftermath of a feckless man’s confrontation with his wife’s younger lover transports the stuff of archetype into Putin’s Russia.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
The viewer could enjoy the confrontation with the reassuring sense that watching served some larger good.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of confrontation

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facelift

face-off

face off

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Style

“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of face-off

noun

verb

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