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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Dynastic rivalries, regional rebellions, economic disruption, and the demographic effects of the Black Death all undermined imperial authority.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Professional sports have always thrived on heroes, villains, rivalries and grievances.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Noun

Teams earned points by winning weekly head-to-head battles – tugging a sled across the field the fastest, surviving a heated game of dodgeball – and by simply doing the right thing.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
More recently, the legal battles became the subject of barbs and jokes as comedian Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in late June.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

Cherry went 74 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Racing Louisville, recording four defensive clearances and winning three of her four aerial duels as Angel City lost for the first time in four games.

— Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 31 July 2026
Physicality is an important aspect in winning such duels, but Stones’ timing is often impeccable in the crucial moments.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Definition of duels

Noun

Contrast that with eventual EFL champions Coventry City (48 in 49 in all competitions) and Championship runners-up Ipswich Town (50 in 49).

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
The discourse has spanned from high school sports to international competitions and pro leagues like the WNBA, where a pair of male former NBA players are currently claiming to identify as women to pressure a more definitive policy.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of competitions

Noun

Panettiere’s sudden death sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where the father of their child mourned the beloved actress and activist who battled a host of struggles.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
The movie's themes of addiction, redemption and spiritual transformation also prompted Sorbo to discuss his belief that some struggles can involve more than physical or psychological factors.

— Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

Built into a natural ravine, the stadium’s site was used for ancient Greek athletic contests and later Roman spectacles before falling into centuries of disuse.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
More than ever, colleges and universities are divided over how to respond in what are likely to be no-win contests.

— David Wippman, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of contests

Noun

That definition appears designed to keep participating firms focused on criminal enterprises and out of interstate conflicts.

— Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Most conflicts between humans and bears are traced back to human food, garbage, pet food, bird seed, or other things that attract bears.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflicts

Browse Nearby Words

face off

face-offs

faces

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Face-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-offs. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of face-offs

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

rigmarole

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes