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
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Forward Kelly Pannek, moving with the puck behind the goal, found defenseman Cayla Barles alone on the right face-off circle.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Wimberley will play La Marque at James Earl Rudder High School and Westlake will face off against Judson at Buda Hays for a spots in their respective semifinals.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
The plan is for the star forward to take face-offs again.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Forward Kelly Pannek, moving with the puck behind the goal, found defenseman Cayla Barles alone on the right face-off circle.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Boise State and Colorado State are the only two within the group facing off this weekend.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Wimberley will play La Marque at James Earl Rudder High School and Westlake will face off against Judson at Buda Hays for a spots in their respective semifinals.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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Devoted fans will catch every clever nod, while newcomers can enjoy the romance, rivalry, and Regency ridiculousness without the multi-volume commitment.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The long-simmering rivalry between Sunni and Shiite Muslims erupted into a civil war that killed tens of thousands of civilians.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Executives have been preaching the virtues of consolidation, framing it as the only way for legacy media companies to compete with technology companies.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Implats, which competes with Valterra and Sibanye-Stillwater in the platinum group metals market, has a long-standing presence in Zimbabwe, having steadily built its stake in Zimplats in the early 2000s and become the dominant owner, holding more than 80% of the company.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Calamia won that battle — and then won first place in the race days later.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Former President Barack Obama is promoting a Democratic effort to redraw congressional lines in Virginia, the latest front in a nationwide redistricting battle ahead of this year's midterm elections.—
MEG KINNARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Broward is the bluest county in the state, though DeNapoli contends his city is more supportive of the president than the rest of the county.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
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The lawsuit contends the district’s approach crosses a legal line.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Two top City Section baseball teams, El Camino Real and San Fernando, faced off Friday in a pitcher’s duel that went eight innings.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Both teams seem to be settling into a duel between two aces.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to Tandy, as more states adopt age-verification mandates and companies race to comply, the infrastructure behind those systems is likely to become a permanent fixture of online life.—
Barbara Booth,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
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The other six warned the city was racing toward a costly and uncertain exit strategy.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As job cuts pile up, Tinner is up against intense competition in a job market flooded with talent from the top companies in tech.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The launch comes as competition in China’s electric vehicle market intensifies, and manufacturers search for new technologies to attract buyers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Analysts say intelligence sharing would represent a low-risk way for Russia to support Iran while avoiding direct confrontation with the United States, even as Moscow balances in the region.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
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Ideological opposition turned to proxy confrontation through Iran's support for Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, and for Hezbollah, which fought Israel during its long occupation of southern Lebanon.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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