faced off

verb

past tense of face off
as in competed
to engage in a contest eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 faced off Swift sat courtside for Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks faced off against the San Antonio Spurs. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 In the Democratic Party, progressives and moderates faced off in contests in Wisconsin and Minnesota. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026 Embattled Central Florida Congressman Cory Mills faced off in a fiery primary debate with three fellow Republicans Wednesday evening, in which the political issues were largely overshadowed by his many controversies. — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026 Left unsaid was who would be using the box for the match that wasn’t offered to board members — when Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo faced off against hometown favorite Colombia. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Two Republican candidates faced off in a July 28 primary runoff after neither garnered enough votes to win the nomination last month. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Mitch Bernard, chief counsel at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, has faced off on environmental issues with the DOJ many times. — J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 28 July 2026 But even though the two rivals are already on different trajectories toward the playoffs, that didn’t mean the Phillies couldn’t deliver yet another setback for the Mets as the two faced off in their latest series since the All-Star break. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Over the last two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the titular demigod (Walker Scobell) has faced off against a minotaur, sailed to the sea of monsters, been chased by Cerberus, and even magically transformed into a guinea pig. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faced off
  1. competed
  2. contended
Verb
  • Some theories posit that it was caused by a spike in ocean oxygen levels, a threshold of climate stability or an evolutionary race of sorts as animals competed with one another for resources.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Both teams that competed in the Division 2 championship last year, Eastlake and Del Norte, have moved up to Division 1.
    — Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of competed
Verb
  • The year 1933, Arendt contended, marked the close of the age of bourgeois emancipation and Jewish liberation, which brought an end to a feeling of security in the West and signaled that the new sense of security in the East was a pipe dream.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The union’s original grievance, the city contended, only challenged Biscari’s suspension pending resolution of his criminal case — not the underlying disciplinary action for the crash itself.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of contended

Browse Nearby Words

faced
faced off
facedown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Faced off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faced%20off. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All