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 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-offs
Noun
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First, the worst conference changes hadn’t struck yet, and some of the rivalries torn apart by previous realignments were even getting back together.
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As Miranda works to protect the magazine's influence, old alliances and rivalries are tested, putting Andy in the middle of another complicated chapter in her career.
Noun
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Informal Beyblade battles are popping up in strangest of places, with players huddling in parks, gyms and shopping malls.
-
Unlike in Jalisco or Michoacán, spectacular gun battles are hardly ever seen in Colima.
Noun
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However, Azula intercepts the group and duels Aang and Katara with Zuko, who nearly had a change of heart after opening up to Katara.
-
Yes, purists love pitching duels.
Noun
-
Community leaders and Democratic lawmakers have railed against the practice, which has led to dramatic confrontations in the hallways outside courtrooms.
-
The demonstrations have unleashed violent confrontations between dynamite-wielding demonstrators and riot police, leading to at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to authorities.
Noun
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Ski and snowboard streetstyle, which have had X Games demos that have transformed into medal events, aren’t included in the league structure, but may have standalone competitions.
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So expect rainbow flags around the stadium, art competitions in the city and street parties galore.
Noun
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But the focus stays very much on the struggles of married life.
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The book came out when mental illness was heavily stigmatized; Styron paved the way for authors to write about their own struggles with depression and similar disorders.
Noun
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Polls show non-MAGA Republicans willing to cross party lines for Democrats in critical contests this year, such as the Ohio Senate battle.
-
Some of the 32 students will head to Boston Stadium on Friday, as Norway takes on France in one of the premier contests on the entire World Cup slate to date.
Noun
-
Clients should understand whether the advisor is legally obligated to put their interests first, how conflicts are disclosed and whether recommendations are shaped by commissions, proprietary products or outside incentives.
-
These conflicts raged on through the pandemic, when the country was generally going insane, and in 2022, when President Joe Biden exercised his right to appoint a new chair, Rios took what was in effect a thankless cleanup job.
Cite this Entry
“Face-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-offs. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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