FACE-OFFS Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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-offs For national tournaments, the corollary is how poorer countries always have to match up against richer ones for regional face-offs and qualifiers that culminate in the quadrennial dream that is the World Cup. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 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 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

Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
There are a few big rivalries in the NFL, but almost none have as much history as Chicago and Green Bay.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Noun

But a judge has now paused construction across the region, giving a major boost to landowners who have sought to impede the wall by refusing to cooperate with government surveyors, protesting at county meetings and gearing up for court battles.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Though their eligibility battles remain unsettled, both players took part in Thursday’s 45-minute open practice at Allen Fieldhouse as full-fledged members of KU’s 2026-27 team.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

In defence, his lack of physicality is becoming more glaring in a Premier League that is leaning more heavily than ever into duels, second balls and set pieces.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
The noodles, the cheese, the topping, the consistency—duels have been fought over less.

— Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of duels

Noun

The war’s repercussions have spread across the Middle East, including conflict in Lebanon and confrontations involving Iran and the United States, while Israel faces a divisive election and questions over security failures.

— Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Three Colombian former soldiers were killed during the confrontations, including a co-leader of the squad.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of confrontations

Noun

This year, more than 10,000 entries from 112 countries were judged in one of the most enjoyable photo competitions on the calendar.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
By 2002, the group had disbanded, but some of its members founded TOOOL and went on to launch yearly lock-picking competitions.

— Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of competitions

Noun

Getting access to sumo stables, wrestlers, their traditions, rituals and thinking and struggles can’t have been easy.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
The sketch took aim at reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, including plumbing issues and mental-health struggles among the crew during their extended deployment.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

However, height and rated generating capacity are different contests.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.

— Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of contests

Noun

Expectations around workload and external factors, including international conflicts and crises, are contributing to these heightened anxieties.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Related Stories Set in Yunlin County on Taiwan’s southwest coast, the film follows two boys whose friendship comes under pressure as adult conflicts divide their community.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflicts

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face off

face-offs

faces

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“Face-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-offs. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of face-offs

noun

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