faces off

Definition of faces offnext
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 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
  • Self-driving cars are operating commercially in some cities, and a relaxing, productive commute in an autonomous car competes for the same customer an eVTOL is trying to attract.
    Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Weaker as a blocker on the move, but competes with a mean streak.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The company contends that since US regulators didn’t require a cancer warning, federal law bars those types of suits.
    Jef Feeley, Bloomberg, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Abbott contends the policy weakens statewide coordination with federal authorities.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Its untapped reserves are being wasted as the world races toward an era of abundant renewable energy.
    Judah Taub, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The film unfolds in Kathmandu, where a mother races to shield her nine-year-old daughter from a sudden and troubling change – a journey that forces both characters to reckon with trauma and with a legal system ill-equipped to deliver justice.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Apr. 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 2 May. 2026.

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