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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of face-off
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday morning, billionaire Tom Steyer — a Democrat — proposed holding an alternative face-off, with KNBC moderating.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Other moments involve the pair facing off with wild animals.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
Looking for joy is a good way to bond with one another, though contrasting energy arrives in the Moon’s face-off with Pluto, asking us to balance attention with power-sharing.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday morning, billionaire Tom Steyer — a Democrat — proposed holding an alternative face-off, with KNBC moderating.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
As the titular billionaire, Jordan faces off against former FBI agent Adria Arjona — hunting him heist by heist in search of the truth.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Other moments involve the pair facing off with wild animals.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
-
The Penguins showed a video tribute honoring Ovechkin and his longstanding rivalry with Crosby during a television timeout in the second period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The couple has previously playfully acknowledged their rivalry.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Over four days in Lausanne, Real Madrid, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge’s Under-19 teams are competing against each other — and the opening matches were not short of action.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Police are investigating the death of a woman who drowned while competing in the Ironman Texas triathlon.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier, and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The jury heard lawyers describe a fatal confrontation, with prosecutors saying the defendants attacked and killed Ascaridis, and defense attorneys contending that Ascaridis was the aggressor.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Both bodies contend that this gender lens is important for understanding the full scope of experiences and vulnerabilities not just of women and girls, but also LGBTQ+ individuals and men and boys during conflict.—
Jenna Norosky,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After Jordan Romano blew two save opportunities against the Yankees, right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn gave up two runs in the eighth that ended a scoreless duel.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
There seems to be a mutual respect between the two sides, who are often complimentary of one another during and after their duels.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Thunder raced out to a 15-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The North Carolina human resources executive spent two months racking up credits through web tutorials after work in 2024, then raced through 11 online classes at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in four weeks.—
Todd Wallack,
Washington Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Invictus Games are a Paralympic-style competition for wounded and recovering service members and veterans from around the world.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
His passion for off-roading and extreme competition now extends to his two sons, who have caught the Currie racing fervor.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The confrontation has raised fears of further escalation in a waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.—
Gemma Fox,
Time,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Video circulating on social media appears to show a confrontation before the shooting that seemed to involve a large group of people.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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