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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 30 June 2025
College admission often feels like a similar face-off between families, leaving them confused, concerned, and conjecturing.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 19 July 2025
The two faced off for the second time in April 2019 at UFC 236.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
From dozens of local favorites to this final face-off, it’s been a journey filled with fierce competition and plenty of salsa.
—Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 30 June 2025
College admission often feels like a similar face-off between families, leaving them confused, concerned, and conjecturing.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
The festivities began on Thursday, but the main event happens Saturday night, as Napheesa Collier’s squad faces off against Caitlin Clark’s roster.
—Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 19 July 2025
The two faced off for the second time in April 2019 at UFC 236.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
-
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged Amazon didn't consider the Falcon 9 due to an intense and personal rivalry between Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
18 July 2025
-
However, the trade rivalry between the U.S. and China has been weighing heavily on the industry.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
But the team has 11 superb players in its Starting XI that compete well together.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
Palace will instead compete in Europe’s third-tier competition, the UEFA Conference League — a far less lucrative and prestigious tournament.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
The injuries that eventually cut the third baseman’s career short began to take hold right before Forde lost a years-long battle with breast cancer.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
19 July 2025
-
Coming weeks after Lexington and Concord, the battle marked the British effort to control the hills surrounding Boston’s harbor.—
Brian T. Allen,
National Review,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
In previous filings, Stone contended that forensic evidence would show that whoever shot Reuter was much taller than Yang.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
He was expected to contend for the team's lead running back role with the departure of veteran Nick Chubb.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Junk and Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers engaged in a pitchers’ duel into the seventh inning.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 July 2025
-
What looked like a classic pitchers’ duel before the game took some twists and turns on Friday, with one ace looking rock-solid, but losing, and another ace struggling early, but winning.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The European Union is racing to plug a shortfall of as much as $19 billion in Ukraine’s 2026 annual budget.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
While nothing gets a marketer’s heart racing like the quixotic desire to overcome scarcity, the vanishing dollar demos should discourage this kind of self-defeating strategy.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, in an unexpected move, the TV Academy said late yesterday afternoon that nominees in the first two categories — reality competition program and talk series — would be announced on CBS Mornings shortly before 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
-
While RuPaul holds the record, Klum is hot on her tail, as the Project Runway host returns to the fashion competition program on July 31 for the first time since 2017, as the show moves from Bravo to Freeform, Hulu, and Disney+.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
That ultimately led to a verbal confrontation between Morrow, 47, and Steve Raleigh.—
Kevin Grasha,
The Enquirer,
11 July 2025
-
The incident is one of the latest in a growing series of confrontations with federal immigration officers.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share