FACE-OFF Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

face-off 1 of 2

noun

ˈfās-ˌȯf

Definition of face-off

as in rivalry

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the annual fall face-off between these traditional rivals is a big event for both football-mad colleges

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

face off

2 of 2

verb

as in to compete

to engage in a contest eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-off

Noun

Messi began the face-off yesterday by scoring twice at lunchtime in Dallas, but Mbappe and Haaland appeared to see that as a personal affront, matching him as the sun set in Philadelphia and New Jersey. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 23 June 2026 After a contentious Republican runoff in Georgia, the stage is set for a major face-off that will be watched by the nation. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Verb

Donalds’ exit led Cawthorn to face off against nine other Republicans for the seat. — Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026 Wahab and Hernandez will also face off in the November general election for who represents the seat for a full term. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for face-off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off

Noun

At least until kick-off, club rivalry will be set aside; there will be northern English empathy.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Week 1 is full of national showdowns and nonregion rivalries.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Verb

Florida voters will head to the polls Tuesday for a primary election that will determine the head-to-head matchups in November, including the candidates who will compete to become the state's next governor.

— Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
New York has a nice blend of skill and compete in a system that should produce reliable NHL talent but still has a lot of work ahead in this next rebuild.

— Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of compete

Noun

Alex Wagner, who served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs during the Biden administration, argued recruiting has remained remarkably insulated from those political battles.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
The fight preceded the Zeus main event, which was a battle between stars from the network’s Baddies series, Tehneski and Big Lex.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of battle

Verb

Conservationists and some state officials contend the move is a pretext for commercial development that will harm wildlife habitats and water quality.

— Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Anthony’s attorneys contend those comments have created the appearance that Roach prejudged the defense’s claims.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of contend

Noun

The Throne Room Duel & A-Wing comes with two battle podiums, where the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader minifigures can be placed to have an epic lightsaber duel.

— Chris McMullen, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026
And this game will be the first Border War duel in Lawrence since 2005, a Friday night game on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

— PJ Green August 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of duel

Verb

In this dawning age of artificial intelligence, tech companies are racing to train and run their large language models using massive data centers that guzzle electricity and strain resources.

— Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
As the ball entered the 6-yard box, LAFC’s Jeremy Ebobisse raced across and attempted a clearance.

— Daily News, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of race

Noun

But as more money and bigger names entered, competition grew fiercer, pushing a drive to export the dramas overseas for more revenue — and use whatever means available to cut costs.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
While ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, helped spark a flurry of competition and advances for large language models, the same idea isn’t easily applied to robots because of their complexity.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Authorities have not identified the suspect and are continuing to investigate what led to the confrontation.

— Abby Dodge, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
The Mughal right wing avoided direct confrontation with the elephants and instead attacked Hemu’s troops on the sides.

— Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of confrontation

Browse Nearby Words

facelift

face-off

face off

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“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of face-off

noun

verb

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