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
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
Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Only keeping your face off the pillow does that.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 9 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
The only reliable way to avoid facial compression during sleep is to keep your face off the pillow altogether.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Only keeping your face off the pillow does that.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 9 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
-
Elon Musk’s Starship and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Moon landers are both competing to prove their company’s lander will be ready first.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Agencies that invest in training and oversight compete with others operating under no formal requirements.—
Jake Krilovich,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Battle of Kings Mountain, where the Patriots won a 1780 battle just west of Charlotte, and a recreation of British loyalist leader Maj.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In a battle for first place in the Pacific Coast League, Patel drove in five runs and scored a run to lead Irvine to an 8-2 victory over Portola.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
9 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
-
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
-
Cologne eased its Bundesliga relegation worries on Sunday, Stuttgart took another step toward Champions League qualification and Freiburg defeated Mainz 1-0 away in a duel between European contenders.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
At its core, this was a legendary duel between Steph Curry and … Aaron Gordon?—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Haotong Li of China shot 69 and was four behind, still mystified by topping a fairway metal that raced into the pond in front of the 15th green.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Bob Hall, a childhood polio survivor who became known as the father of wheelchair racing after twice winning the Boston Marathon and then going on to build racing chairs for the generations of competitors that followed, has died.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But neither is an experienced starter so general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley will almost certainly seek training camp competition for each role.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The drama was announced as having been selected for Cannes’ main competition at the festival’s traditional press conference in Paris on Thursday.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While Hilton‘s and Bianco’s campaigns have sparred about their respective records, the candidates largely avoided direct confrontation until a debate earlier this month in Rancho Mirage.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The Audacity seems to be setting up a deadly confrontation between them, but there’s still some chance JoAnne can be coerced into playing ball with Duncan.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
