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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of face-off
James O'Connell, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2025
The actor also muses on Cap's relationship with Yancy, his face-off with Austin Water and Power, and more.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
England and the Netherlands, the last two champions, face off against France, one of the tournament favourites, and debutants Wales.
—Julia Ranney, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Noun
Property of the week: Exceptional CT colonial on cul-de-sac
CT face-off unfolding on taxes.
—James O'Connell, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2025
The actor also muses on Cap's relationship with Yancy, his face-off with Austin Water and Power, and more.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Outside of the main competition, the secondary Un Certain Regard section will see feature directorial debuts from Johansson (the June Squibb-starring Eleanor the Great) and Dickinson (Urchin, led by Fear the Walking Dead's Frank Dillane) face off in contest.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
England and the Netherlands, the last two champions, face off against France, one of the tournament favourites, and debutants Wales.
—Julia Ranney, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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Orlando City and Atlanta United will meet on Saturday in a fierce rivalry MLS matchup, a game soccer fans in the U.S. won't want to miss.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
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Her Wings jersey is already generating significant sales, suggesting the potential for an ongoing rivalry with Clark not just on the court but in the merchandise marketplace as well.—
Lindsey Darvin,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Then the Fire, in an independent Central Hockey League, competed at the Fort Worth Convention Center from 1992 to 1999.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
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In addition to the teams that advanced to the finals, select competitors from other schools will compete in the individual finals despite their teams not advancing.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Lorna Romero Ferguson, a Republican political strategist based in Arizona, told the Washington Examiner that both parties are still going to have to battle over redistricting efforts and keep extremist candidates from the ballot box to stay competitive after the 2030 census.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2025
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In short, Saturday's clash will bring to a head a battle between two families, two fighters caught in a war started by their fathers, and Eubank won't even have his by his side as they are still estranged.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Beyond the trade secret misappropriation allegations, Flexport contends that all three defendants infringed its source code copyrights.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Apr. 2025
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While most accounts suggest White Parties were free of criminal activities, other plaintiffs contend their abuse happened at these elite gatherings.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The show is partially set before the events of Revenge of the Sith, which ends with Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader after being severely injured in a lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2025
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The 36-year-old deGrom, who also remains in that conversation even on the backside of his career, was almost as good in Friday’s pitcher’s duel.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the years since, the vehicles raced on tracks across the world have evolved.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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Ambulances, firetrucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus that sits just west of Florida’s state capital after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.—
Kate Payne and David Fischer,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This year, there's little other competition for NFL-ready quarterbacks.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
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Most importantly, this competition is not ideological.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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During the confrontation, the two men were shot, and both died on scene, officers said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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