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
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
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
-
Alexander Wynaendts, supervisory board chairman at Deutsche Bank, said Wednesday that Europe needs to reduce regulations and boost its output to compete with China and the US despite challenges posed by the Middle East war and intra-regional rivalries.—
Steve Gelsi,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The postseason format the NHL brought back with the divisional realignment for the 2013-14 season to intensify the first round and double down on regional rivalries has occasionally proved controversial.—
Dave Campbell,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And tourism-dependent Saipan - the site of one of World War II's bloodiest battles in the Pacific - was still reeling from Yutu when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hunter said.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The Fox Valley has lost a war hero – not the kind who fought the enemy with military prowess but who waged her battles with a fierce faith in God and a heart that beat with joy and compassion.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Edwards missed the first meeting, and Denver was without multiple rotational pieces in each of the final three duels.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Among defenders with 900 or more Premier League minutes this season, Mosquera ranks joint 10th for duels won per 90 minutes and seventh for tackles won per 90.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the waters, a key global trade route, but territorial confrontations have particularly spiked between Chinese and Philippine forces in recent years.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The problem is this can create confrontations in all your one-on-one relationships, especially spouses, partners and close friends.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The show features 12,000-pound trucks pulling off incredible moves, including balancing on two wheels and flying in head-to-head competitions.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
From new restaurant openings and beloved bakeries finding permanent homes to chef competitions and reader polls, here’s everything that happened in Charlotte food this week on CharlotteFive.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, in the immediate term, Gil’s struggles may be an issue for a few more turns throughout the rotation.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
His hot stretches were overshadowed in his mind by some struggles late in the spring, creating a stretch of self-doubt.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While the Colorado Avalanche was finishing off a record-breaking regular season Thursday night with a 2-0 victory against the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena, the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers both won their final contests as well.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Byfield has four goals and five points in his past three games and has scored in six consecutive road contests.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The leaders of China and Spain on Tuesday pledged to strengthen their relations and work to safeguard multilateralism at a time when the world is being impacted by various conflicts, including the recent war in Iran, during a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The stakes are high — suffice it to say, the tip is on the line — but the substance of the conflicts is absolutely ridiculous.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Face-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-offs. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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