Thesaurus results for FACES OFF

faces off

verb

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

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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 As Crown, Jordan faces off against a former FBI agent (Adria Arjona) hunting him heist by heist. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 29 July 2026 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 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

And this week, the two-time world silver medalist competes at the European Championships in Birmingham, England, hoping to do something else his father never achieved — retain his European title.

— Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
But North Star still collects fees and competes in a broader IRB marketplace.

— Angus Chen, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of competes

Verb

Bar-Zemer contends that safety features could be installed to make sure pedestrians have enough time to exit the pathway if water rises swiftly.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
However, the author contends this limitation is insufficient, recalling the severe economic impact of prior Trump tariffs on major trading partners.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of contends

Verb

November races to watch With three months until election day, four swing districts in California, Washington and Arizona could play key roles.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
In The Secret of Secrets novel, symbologist Robert Langdon races against ancient forces and time to rescue a missing scientist and her groundbreaking manuscript whose discoveries have the power to forever change humanity’s understanding of the mind.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of races

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faces

faces off

faces up (to)

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

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Synonyms of faces off

verb

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