faces off

present tense third-person singular of face off
as in competes
to engage in a contest eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 off With Kean running unopposed in the June 2 Republican primary, whichever Democrat faces off against him in November will almost certainly shape their campaign around his disappearance. Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 May 2026 The singer faces off with Priestly just before an Italian fashion show performance. Nigel Smith, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 Jordan's character, a billionaire, faces off against a former FBI agent (played by Adria Arjona). Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026 These people have already drunk their faces off. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026 Pattinson can be heard as the announcer during the British Open semifinals scene toward the beginning of the A24 film, before Chalamet’s Marty Mauser faces off against Hungarian champion Bela Kletzki (Géza Röhrig). Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026 Every three years, the division faces off against a division from the NFC. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2026 Christopher plays Anatoly Sergievsky, a Soviet chess champion who faces off against an American (Aaron Tveit), with a woman caught between them (Lea Michele). Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025 Before Alabama faces off against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Saban offered a word of warning to head coach Kalen DeBoer and his Crimson Tide. Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faces off
Verb
  • Jay still competes as part of the Huntington Beach Boardriders Club and holds down a major spot in the lineup at the pier.
    Corky Carroll, Oc Register, 18 July 2026
  • Every tool that requires setup, configuration, or behavioral change competes for a finite pool of attention.
    Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • Paramount contends that the transaction would bolster competition in streaming, as the combination of Paramount and Warner Bros would stand a better chance against stronger rivals like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon’s Prime Video.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 20 July 2026
  • Georgia Bedell contends that the Planning and Zoning Commission last winter didn’t do a meaningful review of the effect on air quality, water contamination nor the integrity of the nearby aquifer.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • What makes the Drama races different is that Apple TV series have struggled much more to find its bearings here.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • Once inside, the burglar sends in a robotic assistant that races through the rooms, checks drawers, copies keys, locks cabinets and writes a demand note asking for money to unlock the data.
    Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Faces off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faces%20off. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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