FACE-OFFS Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

face-offs

noun

plural of face-off

as in rivalries

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

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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 face-offs For national tournaments, the corollary is how poorer countries always have to match up against richer ones for regional face-offs and qualifiers that culminate in the quadrennial dream that is the World Cup. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 The game followed a championship series filled with down-to-the-wire face-offs won by edge-of-your-seat buzzer beaters. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 June 2026 The plan is for the star forward to take face-offs again. — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026 The film’s centerpieces are the face-offs between Plemons’ Teddy and Stone’s CEO. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026 Turcotte has been an efficient point producer relative to his ice time, boasts strong two-way metrics, and has won nearly 56 percent of his face-offs this year. — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026 The film keeps pace through toe-curlingly tense table tennis face-offs, high-stakes hustles, and a jaw-dropping scene involving a bathtub that honestly puts Saltburn to shame. — Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025 Several of these races have attracted attention beyond their city limits, for interesting face-offs or for their potential to signal where some states and districts could be leaning as next year's midterm elections draw closer. — Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-offs

Noun

College football is almost here, bringing back decades-long rivalries, close games and, of course, die-hard fan bases.

— Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Week 1 is full of national showdowns and nonregion rivalries.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Noun

The policy updates come amid the slew of ongoing legal battles by players who were originally part of the 2022 high school recruiting class seeking a fifth year of collegiate eligibility.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Then came battles with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.

— Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

By that point, Hull had won almost twice as many duels as United and were also winning the game.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Cherry went 74 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Racing Louisville, recording four defensive clearances and winning three of her four aerial duels as Angel City lost for the first time in four games.

— Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 31 July 2026

Definition of duels

Noun

Indonesia has pledged to keep subsidized fuel prices unchanged through 2026, which may strain the budget if oil prices rise again due to supply disruptions or a worsening of military confrontations.

— Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Critical milestones in this transitional phase of the movement were the deadly confrontations between white Christian extremists and federal agents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho (1992), and Waco, Texas (1993).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of confrontations

Noun

Birth of daughter and personal struggles Meanwhile, following a lull in her career in the late 1990s, Smith returned to the spotlight in 2000.

— Imani Sumbi, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
In reality, Loesby contends, many struggles reflect predictable structural mismatches — a lawyer who prefers depth and analysis struggling in a role that rewards constant responsiveness, or one who thrives on collaboration disengaging in isolation.

— Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

Woods also flashed early, but was relatively quiet in the first two preseason contests before getting into the backfield a couple of times Friday.

— Sam McDowell August 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Very few mentioned anti-communism or socialism as a top factor for their vote, although cultural issues have been an effective wedge for Republicans in recent contests.

— Steve Peoples, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of contests

Noun

The players air their grievances, which are essentially a pile of petty conflicts and resentments that, as Alice warned, can be traced back to the team fracturing into cliques.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Mia Wasikowska perfectly embodies the role of Agata, a writer returning to her home continent, seeking to understand and reconnect with the wounds of the recent past, and with the ways in which unresolved conflicts continue to echo in the present.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflicts

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face off

face-offs

faces

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“Face-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-offs. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of face-offs

noun

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