Definition of face-to-facenext
1
as in personally
in person and usually privately I won't believe that accusation until I meet with him face-to-face and ask him myself

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2
as in one-on-one
in direct confrontation or competition came face-to-face with her lifelong fear of flying even before the plane left the runway

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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-to-face Eleven flies up to be face-to-face with the Mind Flayer, rips out his throat, jumps inside, and in one sleek-as-hell move, rips Vecna down from the Mind Flayer power source he’s been plugged into. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026 From November to March, visitors and locals suit up and take the chilly plunge to spend face-to-face time with these gentle giants. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026 The two come face-to-face at the end of the episode, during which Callahan taunts Kyle over his wife's murder. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025 The pair were spotted dining face-to-face at Anton’s in the West Village. Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for face-to-face
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-to-face
Adverb
  • There turned out to be something satisfying about the discipline involved in creating a personally meaningful collection within these constraints.
    Kenneth Turan, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Others shared messages of sympathy despite not knowing Nicholson personally.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • Teams of friends and families will go head-to-head in a test of boat building in the great outdoors during an annual Central Florida event.
    Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The race for another Board of Review seat will be a head-to-head match rather than uncontested after county officials ruled incumbent Commissioner George Cardenas was safe on the ballot.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash happened late Friday night when Aguilar crossed the center line and collided head-on with another vehicle.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
  • According to witnesses, the minibus carrying the children was reportedly overtaking other stationary vehicles when the head-on collision occurred, per the news agency.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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