Synonyms of face-offs

face-offs

noun

plural of face-off

as in rivalries

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

• rivalries
• battles
• duels
• confrontations
• competitions
• struggles
• contests
• conflicts
• wars
• contentions
• matches
• warfares
• clashes
• dogfights
• strifes
• sweepstakes
• ball games
• showdowns
• combats
• debates
• tugs-of-war
• disputes
• collisions
• grapples
• nail-biters
• disputations
• quarrels
• horse races
• arguments
• controversies
• disagreements
• frictions
• discords
• rows
• dissensions
• wrangles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• harmonies
• concords
• peaces

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of face-offs

The game followed a championship series filled with down-to-the-wire face-offs won by edge-of-your-seat buzzer beaters. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 June 2026

Much of the credit goes to the defense and to Andrew Golden, a junior who handles face-offs. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

The plan is for the star forward to take face-offs again. — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026

The film’s centerpieces are the face-offs between Plemons’ Teddy and Stone’s CEO. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026

Turcotte has been an efficient point producer relative to his ice time, boasts strong two-way metrics, and has won nearly 56 percent of his face-offs this year. — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026

The film keeps pace through toe-curlingly tense table tennis face-offs, high-stakes hustles, and a jaw-dropping scene involving a bathtub that honestly puts Saltburn to shame. — Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025

Several of these races have attracted attention beyond their city limits, for interesting face-offs or for their potential to signal where some states and districts could be leaning as next year's midterm elections draw closer. — Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025