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
Jack Lowenstein, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
That’s a minor 4% uptick over last year’s Commanders-Eagles NFC face-off.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
Hannah Ryan, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is seeking a fifth term in office and is facing off against longtime Chicago Ald.
—CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
Sam Malinski #70 of the Colorado Avalanche before a face-off during a game against the Ottawa Senators on January 28, 2026, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
—Jack Lowenstein, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
That’s a minor 4% uptick over last year’s Commanders-Eagles NFC face-off.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette captained the US and Canada, respectively, and faced off against each other in two Olympic finals.
—Hannah Ryan, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is seeking a fifth term in office and is facing off against longtime Chicago Ald.
—CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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While Finland and Sweden may not have enjoyed quite the same level of Olympic success in women’s hockey as the US and Canada, the rivalry between the two Nordic countries is nonetheless a fiery one.—
Hannah Ryan,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The epic race between Stolz and de Boo is the latest in their budding rivalry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then a week later, Heraskevych received a wave of sympathetic support when he was forced out of the skeleton for refusing to compete without a helmet adorned with more than 20 elite Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed in the war.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Nearly 2,900 athletes from more than 90 national Olympic committees are competing at the Winter Games across 116 medal events across eight sports.—
Lee Ying Shan,Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The star of the cache was a near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, or carnyx — used to blare eerie sounds in battle and rally troops against the enemy.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Alain Hamel is credited with catching the giant flatfish, which was pulled through the ice after a two-and-a-half hour battle.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The department has made public millions of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act but has withheld millions more that officials contend would reveal the names of people who accused Epstein of abuse or cover the department's legal analysis of the case.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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But multiple former offensive linemen contended Campbell’s Super Bowl struggles were not due to his arms.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In a duel of the top two teams in the West Coast Conference standings, Gonzaga (25-2, 13-1 WCC) spoiled the Broncos’ best start to a season since 1969-70.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Edgecombe hit three 3-pointers during his scoring barrage in the first semifinal to win his duel with Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, who scored just four points.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Truthfully, racing in the rain was entertaining.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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Whether that’s going to see a show, tossing some axes, cuddling with some cats at a café or racing down the slopes, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Khelif has appealed the new policy that will keep the athlete out of any competitions pending the results of genetic testing.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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During the second annual competition in October, the team from La Marmotte restaurant, also located downtown, won with a concoction of Nikka Vodka, Luxardo Espresso liqueur, Irish cream, and Count Chocula and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Many local police departments began to rethink their approach to the weapons following violent confrontations with protesters over the 2020 police killing of George Floyd.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
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What was once a forum for engaged — sometimes heated — debate has, critics argue, become a stage for viral confrontation.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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