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
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
West’s victory marked a major shift in mainstream hip-hop—Glock-toting gangsta rap was out, euphoric genre-blending was in—but the face-off between West and 50 Cent may be most remembered as one of the last album-promotional events of its kind.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
After the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers face off tonight, the divisional round will be fully set.
—Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
Teddy Blueger’s impressive return Contenders are always looking for extra insurance down the middle, especially for centres like Teddy Blueger, who are sound penalty killers and can win face-offs at an above-average rate.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
West’s victory marked a major shift in mainstream hip-hop—Glock-toting gangsta rap was out, euphoric genre-blending was in—but the face-off between West and 50 Cent may be most remembered as one of the last album-promotional events of its kind.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
The winners of Divisional Round games ultimately face off in the conference championships.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
After the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers face off tonight, the divisional round will be fully set.
—Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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Cal was led by a pair of players who were new to the rivalry.—
Harold Gutmann,
Mercury News,
25 Jan. 2026
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The lawsuit is the latest chapter in the long rivalry between Hill and Rose.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Much of the movie's story revolves around Marty's chaotic efforts to make enough money to travel to Japan and compete in a tournament there.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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The Associated Press reported that the grim discovery underscores the tactics used by criminal groups competing for control of territory and trafficking routes, especially along the country’s coastline.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a city where detentions have largely played out on the streets, Homan’s comments have highlighted a battle that has been unfolding in the background.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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The exercise of power, not surprisingly, contributed to the restlessness of a busy mind that waged battles against a committed opposition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Warden contends that many of the actual workers in the Bay retained their left-leaning politics.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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Redrawing districts again could prompt a new legal challenge and lead a court to impose districts, Ferguson contends.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nothing but bleeps ahead of Sunday's divisional duel with the Los Angeles Rams.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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The predictive duel for Best Picture The Globes are regarded by some as a frivolous event in which celebrities care less about the awards and more about the drinks at their tables.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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In Altadena, employees with the small local water utilities raced across town protecting and fixing the water systems firefighters relied on.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Microsoft is a large investor in OpenAI, but there’s growing competition in the AI space, especially from Google’s Gemini.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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Uhlaender, a five-time Olympian, was hoping to qualify for her sixth Winter Games, but lost the chance before competition even began in Lake Placid due to Canada's withdrawals.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Frey said an incident Friday night that led to property damage at an area hotel and confrontation with police officers was an outlier to the largely peaceful events in recent days.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
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Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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