face-to-face

adverb or adjective

ˈfās-tə-ˈfās 

1

: within each other's sight or presence

met and talked face-to-face

a face-to-face consultation

2

: in or into direct contact or confrontation

came face-to-face with the problem

Synonyms of face-to-face

• personally

Examples of face-to-face in a Sentence

I won't believe that accusation until I meet with him face-to-face and ask him myself

came face-to-face with her lifelong fear of flying even before the plane left the runway

Recent Examples on the Web

The two sides have been exchanging messages via intermediaries in third-party countries including Pakistan, but no face-to-face talks have been arranged. —Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026

This stems from multiple violent incidents involving police in Baltimore County within the last year, including two instances in which John Haley came face-to-face with officers. —Janay Reece, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026

In the aftermath of Braylon Mullins’ game-winning shot against Duke to send UConn into the Final Four for the third time in four years, Huskies coach Dan Hurley’s celebrated with his coaches and players and then seemed to have a face-to-face moment with an official. —From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026

Then there’s the location, face-to-face with the future behemoth 175 Park Avenue, which will throw a big shadow in its general direction every afternoon. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for face-to-face

• aromatase
• hydrogenase
• nitrogenase
• oligoclase
• oxygenase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace

Kids Definition

face-to-face

adverb or adjective

ˌfās-tə-ˈfās

1

: within each other's close presence

met face-to-face

2

: in or into direct contact or confrontation

face-to-face with a crisis