face-off 1 of 2

noun

ˈfās-ˌȯf How to pronounce face-off (audio)
Definition of face-offnext
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

face off

2 of 2

verb

as in to compete
to engage in a contest eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Noun
After a contentious Republican runoff in Georgia, the stage is set for a major face-off that will be watched by the nation. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 22 June 2026 With both teams in desperate need of a win, today's match is bound to be another thrilling World Cup face-off. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026
Verb
France plays Spain today in Dallas in the first semi, while England and Argentina face off on Wednesday in Atlanta. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 July 2026 The World Cup final, which will see either England or Argentina face off against either France or Spain, has already lined up a megawatt halftime show that includes Justin Bieber, BTS, Shakira and Madonna. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
  1. rivalry
  2. compete
  3. battle
  4. contend
  5. duel
  6. race
  7. competition
  8. confrontation
Noun
  • The rivalry has seemingly extended beyond Brazil vs Argentina to Ronaldo vs Messi, too.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • But even ragged with a slippery ball, the Springboks still blanked Wales in successive matches for the first time since the first two matches in this rivalry, in 1906 and 1912.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of rivalry
Verb
  • The actor competed in the Penn Relays in 1988 as part of a 4x800 relay team.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The main studio is Room 1, and all the contestants start there, competing to accurately count the grains in a bag of rice.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of compete
Noun
  • The war’s new weapon What began as a ground war has evolved into a battle increasingly fought from the air.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The battle harks back to the January 2025 Eaton fire which spread toxic ash over swaths of Altadena and Pasadena.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of battle
Verb
  • On the northern portion, the Assessor’s Office contended that a private lake was complete, and the Moyles had put in infrastructure improvements, such as a residential road, sidewalks and electrical boxes.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026
  • But Mayo contended that the more important development this quarter might be happening away from Wall Street.
    — Hugh Son, CNBC, 13 July 2026
Definition of contend
Noun
  • Shires accepted the duel, and in late January 1860, the two men met at the Cornwall Assembly Room in Launceston, Tasmania.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • Solid performances from the supporting cast include Lucas Prizant as Hamlet’s loyal friend, Horatio, and Brenna DiStasio as Laertes, his opponent in the finale’s fateful duel.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of duel
Verb
  • Moments later the Tesla Model 3 raced down a residential street in Katy, Texas, at highway speeds, slammed into a brick home and killed a 76-year-old woman standing in the front room.
    — Bernard Condon, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • Jordan Cvetanovski, chairman and chief investment officer at Pella Funds, said demand for AI infrastructure remains strong as companies race to build computing capacity, but signs of speculative excess are beginning to emerge.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of race
Noun
  • Any restrictions on player registration would not apply to the Premier League, but UEFA does have the power to limit whom Newcastle can name in a ‘List A’ squad for European competitions.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Griffin and Mahony first heard about the Canberra competition just after their wedding.
    — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of competition
Noun
  • The confrontation was captured in a now viral video shared on social media on Monday.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 13 July 2026
  • Police said officers witnessed no violence during the confrontation, but said the tour group’s leader was warned he could be arrested.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 11 July 2026
Definition of confrontation

Browse Nearby Words

facelift
face-off
face off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on face-off

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about face-off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All