faces 1 of 2

Definition of facesnext
present tense third-person singular of face
1
as in fronts
to stand or sit with the face or front toward the house faces the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean

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2
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4
as in encounters
to enter into contest or conflict with the Boston Red Sox were eager to face their traditional rivals, the Yankees, in the play-offs

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faces

2 of 2

noun

plural of face
1
as in looks
the front part of the head the criminal hid his face from the news cameras as he slumped into the patrol car

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2
as in facades
a forward part or surface the face of the store building has been altered many times over the years to meet changing tastes and needs

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3
as in grimaces
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval it's rude to make a face when your dinner hostess offers you broccoli

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4
as in surfaces
an outer part or layer a much-needed sandblasting revealed that the face of the old stone church is actually a pinkish granite

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5
as in expressions
facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling a rainy day is no excuse for just moping around with a long face, so let's do something

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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 faces
Verb
Mays faces 11 charges, including pimping, possession of automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines, and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to sell. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026 City officials say the effort is necessary as Davis faces structural financial challenges. Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026 Hesitations in diaspora Guyana also faces the challenge that for its people living abroad, packing up and returning home isn’t an easy decision. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026 The other students are charged in juvenile court — a 17-year-old male faces one count of robbery, another 17-year-old male and 15-year-old are both charged with one count of battery, records show. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2026 Tanaezah Michelle Austin, 25, faces a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official in connection with the early Sunday morning incident in northwest Charlotte. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026 Italy plays Britain on Sunday and Brazil faces Mexico on Sunday night. ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026 Iran’s clerical regime now faces the prospect of trying to find a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his killing in joint US-Israeli strikes. Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026 The Social Security Administration faces a funding crisis. Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
Tears streamed from the faces of many audience members, from the opening credits to the closing slate, a testament to the emotion elicited by Wilson’s persona. Ian Dille, Outside, 13 Mar. 2026 With six new faces already set to join the roster, GM Dan Morgan, football operations exec Brandt Tilis and head coach Dave Canales will need to keep tinkering with their roster ahead of April’s NFL Draft. Mike Kaye updated March 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026 There are a few faces that the entire family expects to see on Easter Sunday – and that includes this cute-as-can-be lamb. Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026 Other famous faces at the party included Emma Watson, Teyana Taylor, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Odessa A’zion and Charlize Theron. Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 13 Mar. 2026 Lee’s Summit’s broadcasts of city council meetings will no longer show the faces of public commenters under a new city policy implemented in response to a candidate’s use of city video for his campaign. Nathan Pilling march 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026 Colman Domingo returns as a guest star with Martha Kelly and Chloe Cherry upped to series regulars alongside fresh faces, including Rosalía, Marshawn Lynch, Kadeem Hardison, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Toby Wallace. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026 Davies is expected to be one of the public faces of the team during the World Cup this summer, where Canada will co-host the tournament for the first time. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026 Understanding the faces of early human ancestors is of interest to researchers because their features represent a connection between hominins and their physical and social surroundings, Beaudet said. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faces
Verb
  • The complex directly fronts Route 75; the previous use was a 1960s-era strip plaza set far back from the Route 75.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Cafe Del Mar, a busy restaurant that fronts State Road A1A in Fort Lauderdale, gets to keep its artificial turf carpet after all.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • China aims to expand its strategic oil reserves, according to its latest five-year plan, as Beijing confronts volatility from the Middle East conflict.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
  • During a week-long recuperation, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash.
    Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Katherine McKenzie, the director of the Yale Center for Asylum Medicine, which conducts physical evaluations of people who are applying for asylum, said her organization typically encounters one or two cases a year of female genital mutilation.
    Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026
  • This tree encounters few diseases, and most issues are resolved by increasing airflow.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Sign up to vote for the best looks at the Oscars!
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
  • For older teen girls and young women, striking the balance between fun, youthful looks and sophistication for the growing woman is important.
    Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Vivid blues, yellows and reds make the brick facades along West 18th Street pop.
    Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The west and south facades would be restored, while the rest is a modern building designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In the video, Claffey tries to move Ansell away from the subject and grimaces at the camera when his costar seems to say a little too much.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Ask anyone in Teahupo’o about that thing, and expect grimaces and shaking heads.
    Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 July 2024
Noun
  • When numerous low-altitude targets appear, radar systems detect them amid the clutter – unwanted echoes from terrain, sea surfaces, rain or buildings – before identifying and continuously tracking them, reported SCMP.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Lord and Miller, working with the cinematographer Greig Fraser, avoid the conventional visual language of the prestige space epic, with its sterile surfaces and zero-gravity tracking shots.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In multiple tests, the chatbots appeared to recognize violent intent in users’ questions, responding with expressions of concern and referrals to mental health support resources.
    Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
  • There is nothing like feedback from our peers in the form of facial expressions, feeling, laughter, physical touch.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Faces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faces. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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