as in competing
to engage in a contest
eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
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Recent Examples of facing off
Franklin’s District 6 aldermanic seat is contested in the April 7 election, with incumbent Jason Craig facing off against Danelle Kenney.
—
Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Mitchell’s voter simulation puts the possibility of two Republicans facing off in November, and shutting out Democratic gubernatorial candidates, at 12%.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Last year’s competition — the 100th year Scripps hosted the contest — featured 243 participants facing off against each other at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
To commemorate the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which kicks off on March 5 and will run through March 17 with 20 teams facing off in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tokyo; Houston, and Miami, the collection will launch in Japan on March 2 followed by a worldwide release on April 14.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
The Mission League’s quality shines through the Open Division semifinals, with three of four remaining teams from the conference facing off next week.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell’s gauntlet of a postseason doesn’t get any easier in Super Bowl LX with the Patriots facing off against the Seahawks’ vaunted defense.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
As Operation Metro Surge got into full swing earlier this month, more than 3,000 federal immigration agents flooded into Minnesota, carrying out sweeping detentions and facing off with protesters in tense confrontations.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
For the first time, the defense attorney becomes the defendant, forced to fight for his own freedom while facing off against ruthless prosecutor Dana Berg (Constance Zimmer).
—Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Mitchell’s voter simulation puts the possibility of two Republicans facing off in November, and shutting out Democratic gubernatorial candidates, at 12%.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Last year’s competition — the 100th year Scripps hosted the contest — featured 243 participants facing off against each other at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
To commemorate the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which kicks off on March 5 and will run through March 17 with 20 teams facing off in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tokyo; Houston, and Miami, the collection will launch in Japan on March 2 followed by a worldwide release on April 14.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
The Mission League’s quality shines through the Open Division semifinals, with three of four remaining teams from the conference facing off next week.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell’s gauntlet of a postseason doesn’t get any easier in Super Bowl LX with the Patriots facing off against the Seahawks’ vaunted defense.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
As Operation Metro Surge got into full swing earlier this month, more than 3,000 federal immigration agents flooded into Minnesota, carrying out sweeping detentions and facing off with protesters in tense confrontations.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
For the first time, the defense attorney becomes the defendant, forced to fight for his own freedom while facing off against ruthless prosecutor Dana Berg (Constance Zimmer).
—Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facing off
competing
Verb
-
The major obstacle facing a coal revival is the price of competing energy sources, especially natural gas.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The move was criticized as an undemocratic attempt to bar other Democrats from competing for the seat.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Facing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facing%20off. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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