face 1 of 2

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

face

2 of 2

noun

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
By a quirk of scheduling, Dutcher’s Aztecs faced the Wolverines and Wildcats less than a month apart during the fall. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026 The Huskies hadn’t faced much on-court adversity this season, winning almost all of their previous 38 games by a lopsided margin. David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 But even his words and the pictures from the ICU don’t explain the rollercoaster from the past month dealing with the brain tumors — or the incredible resilient spirit Gilbert continues to conjure in the face of it all. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for face
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face
Verb
  • Several pointed to the strain on smaller, rural counties that must front the costs for recovery projects and wait for months on federal reimbursement — often with limited staff and resources.
    Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Named for the Kiawah people who called this island home when British settlers first arrived in 1670, Kiawah Island fronts the Atlantic with ten miles of beach.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • One took her own life when confronted with her deeds and the other one is gone for decades.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Meis doesn’t confront works of art directly; at least that isn’t his forte.
    Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The cedar wood’s grains are enhanced with an overlapping cladding style build, and the shingled roof adds a storybook cottage feel.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Today it can be seen cladding a Qantas 787 Dreamliner in giant red webs and white spots.
    Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In San Francisco, Louise encounters an influencer who asks strangers on the street to rate their happiness on the same scale.
    Nina Mesfin, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!
    Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Granted, a picture can’t really tell us much aside from general looks.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The soft pink color adds a light and airy feel to the room, while the reversible leaf print gives you two looks in one.
    Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The facades are replicas made to scale, one-third the size of the original buildings.
    Olivia Young, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • As the façade of privilege begins to crack, the film charts an unsettling psychological terrain.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Not a quiver in his lips, yet his frown growing.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
  • My best friend Russell is an acupuncturist, and seemed like the perfect person to place my tape, slapping it on my frown lines, crow’s-feet, and nasolabial folds.
    Lena Dunham, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The art deco movie palace at the center of her design bears a distinct resemblance to the North Bend’s dramatic exterior.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Designers Fattahi and McNairy, the cofounders of LALA Reimagined, also like Benjamin Moore’s White Dove for a neutral exterior.
    Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.

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