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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of face-off
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2025
Scientists have many theories of consciousness, and two recently went head-to-head in a scientific face-off.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025
Arkansas Online, 5 Jan. 2026
On the first day of 2026, the actor and comedian continued his hilarious holiday tradition of dressing up for hockey games, this time showing up in full NHL referee gear to watch the Los Angeles Kings face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
His decision to back away from the White House UFC face-off coincided with the Department of Justice’s latest release of files showcasing images, documents and flight logs tied to Epstein and his wealthy entourage.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2025
Scientists have many theories of consciousness, and two recently went head-to-head in a scientific face-off.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
Iowa State and Arkansas State faced off twice with Raynor at the helm.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Jan. 2026
On the first day of 2026, the actor and comedian continued his hilarious holiday tradition of dressing up for hockey games, this time showing up in full NHL referee gear to watch the Los Angeles Kings face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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Small and middle powers, particularly those from the Global South, are stepping into this breach and providing an essential public good that great powers, bound by their own rivalries, increasingly cannot.—
Galip Dalay,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
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And there is a friendly rivalry there.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
6 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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With a high-stakes battle for the 2026 midterms looming, the Evergreen State appears poised to join the trend of states using congressional redistricting for partisan advantage.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Rattler won the quarterback battle in training camp over Shough, but after going 1-7, Moore made the switch to his rookie.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The suits contend that part of the reason for the dry hydrants is that the LADWP’s 117-million-gallon reservoir in Pacific Palisades had been empty for nearly a year, awaiting repairs.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
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All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 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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That simple change would introduce real competition, allowing merchants to choose lower-cost options and forcing the dominant players to compete on price and service--just like any other market.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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Two years ago at the Winter X Games, Kim became the first woman to pull off a 1260-degree spin in competition.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 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 13 Jan. 2026.
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