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
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Recent Examples of face-offs
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-offs
Noun
-
Listening felt like being pulled into side chats with lots of different characters who were at precisely the right level of intoxication to reveal something interesting to you—crushes, anxieties, rivalries.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Lucas was also an assistant coach with Kentucky and Duke — teams that have big in-state rivalries with Louisville and North Carolina, respectively.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Two surgical operations, costing a total of $400,000, were performed in accordance with the past directive following lengthy legal battles over in-prison access to breast implants, facial feminization surgery, and genital augmentation.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
-
This style sparked architectural battles in Beverly Hills that at times seemed like a proxy fight over Persian American influence (Platform).—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bernal would also provide a more physical presence in duels.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Physical, mobile defender who excels in 1v1 duels and recovery defending.—
Abraham Nudelstejer,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Try to avoid clashes or direct confrontations with partners, spouses and close friends, as well as members of the general public.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
-
At least nine people were killed in confrontations with security forces.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In their past 15 meetings in all competitions since January 2020, Chelsea have won just once.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Pink proposed to Carey Hart at one of his competitions.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The idea is to catch reading struggles early on and guide parents on how to help their kids.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Real estate struggles and the property’s primary lender going through bankruptcy thrust the hotel into its first complicated foreclosure in October 2010.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The 2026 primary elections in Texas are on Tuesday, with hundreds of contests for statewide and local office taking place across the state.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The Mavericks remain on home ice next week, too, with a Wednesday game against the Tulsa Oilers, followed by Friday-Saturday contests against the Tahoe Knight Monsters at Cable Dahmer Arena.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But China has consistently steered clear of direct involvement in its partners’ conflicts, showing little appetite for wading into Middle Eastern security matters beyond protecting its own assets.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is preparing a supplemental budget request of roughly $50 billion to replenish weapons used in recent conflicts, including operations in the Middle East.—
Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao,Victor Loh,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-offs. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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