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
Paul Begala, New York Times, 31 May 2025
But Lijn’s mechanized drama is a resolutely feminist one, a face-off between two cyborgs who both conjure and complicate the archetypes of the nature goddess and the murderous woman.
—Marina Isgro, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
But images and video showing flag-waving protesters facing off with police have drawn anger from Republican officials.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
Texans had ongoing, bloody face-offs with Mexicans to their south, and Comanches in their midst.
—Paul Begala, New York Times, 31 May 2025
But Lijn’s mechanized drama is a resolutely feminist one, a face-off between two cyborgs who both conjure and complicate the archetypes of the nature goddess and the murderous woman.
—Marina Isgro, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Verb
Police face off with immigrant rights protesters in the Loop on June 10, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
But images and video showing flag-waving protesters facing off with police have drawn anger from Republican officials.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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Rivals follows the rivalry between an old money MP, Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Tony, Lord Baddingham (David Tennant), who clash over control of a fictional independent TV station in the 1980s.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 June 2025
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According to a report from TMZ Sports, the on-screen rivalry has become deeply personal.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Diogo Jota’s minutes would take a hit should Wirtz cement his place there, while Diaz would return to primarily competing for the starting left wing role with Cody Gakpo.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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Many of those same states have also enacted measures prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.—
June 18,
CBS News,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The two journalists paid tribute to the late MTV VJ, who died Wednesday following a prolonged battle with breast cancer, during a CNN segment on Thursday.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
14 June 2025
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Some media companies are fighting legal battles with AI startups for copyright infringement, arguing that the infiltration of click-free answers is a serious threat to what has become a modern business model for journalism.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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The defense contends the government’s approach was designed to imply corruption, alleging misconduct on Diddy’s part in obstructing justice.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
9 June 2025
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Reddit contends its unique features elevate its content and thus make the content more attractive to scraping endeavors.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Here, Koulibaly chips the ball towards Lodi… … and Alexander-Arnold is in position to contest the aerial duel.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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Pitchers Danny Wallace and Ryan Papa combined to allow just one run on six hits in the duel with Wunsch.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2025
Verb
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Investigators raced to check jail phone logs to see who might have known ahead of time.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
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Once Angelo, of all people, eventually drafted Forte in the second round, Baratz raced to the offices of his colleagues, throwing his hands to the sky.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Both vodkas have consistently earned medals in international spirit competitions.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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The Belgium-Canada-France-Luxembourg co-production is part of the fest’s main competition and is sure to resonate with the festival audience.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Noun
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The escalating rhetoric signals the deepening rift between Tehran and Washington, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation that could draw in U.S. forces and further destabilize the Middle East.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
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Viewers commended Miranda for comforting Kate during the chaos of a confrontation between Chase and Taylor Frankie Paul, who had previously been involved during the swinging scandal.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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