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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Recent Examples of face-off
George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
In addition to its face-off with Musk, OpenAI has been dealing with an outflow of high-level talent, due in part to concerns that the company has focused on taking commercial products to market at the expense of safety.
—Hayden Field, CNBC, 27 Dec. 2024
Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Before Friday’s game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions will face off in the Orange Bowl at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
Noun
The 59-year-old, two-time WWE Hall of Famer, and five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, had previously expressed his intention to return to the ring after a face-off with Fatu.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
In addition to its face-off with Musk, OpenAI has been dealing with an outflow of high-level talent, due in part to concerns that the company has focused on taking commercial products to market at the expense of safety.
—Hayden Field, CNBC, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
While there are a number of teams that are established threats to the advance to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, both Gronkowski and Brees believe the Lions and Bills will be facing off to win their first Vince Lombardi Trophy.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Before Friday’s game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions will face off in the Orange Bowl at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for face-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for face-off
Noun
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During his visit, Boric reaffirmed Chile's commitment to the treaty, emphasizing that its provisions safeguard Antarctica from geopolitical rivalries.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
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The rivalry between Clark and Angel Reese became one of the hottest in sports after their meeting in the 2023 NCAA women's basketball championship game, when Reese's LSU Tigers defeated Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes.Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Her internal harem houses competing feminine archetypes that dance and battle for dominance like shadows cast on ancient walls.Fidan Cheikosman, JSTOR Daily, 1 Jan. 2025
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For the first time in its 124 years, the Rose Bowl will feature two teams from the same conference competing against one another.Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Osbourne didn't share much about her treatment, but this update comes on the heels of her recent battle with a high fever over the holidays.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
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Yarrow died at his home in New York City after a four-year battle with bladder cancer, his publicist Ken Sunshine told USA TODAY.Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Moreover, many thought leaders and AI evangelists contend that predictive AI delivers greater returns than genAI.Eric Siegel, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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It should be noted, too, that Houston wants to contend in 2025 and is still in search of another leverage reliever, even with Pressly still on the roster.Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In fact, isolating it to just the defensive third, their 69.1 per cent aerial duel and 65.1 per cent ground duel success is the highest by a team in any Premier League season since 2018-19.Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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From an opening scene on the high seas as a French merchant ship is aflame to a stag hunt on an aristocratic estate to a pistol duel at dawn, the writer-directors capture the scope and grandeur of Dumas’ story.Scott Phillips, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As of early December, that hasn’t happened since the start of the 2023-24 season (though the three primetime NASCAR Xfinity races the network broadcast this fall came in just under 1 million).Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2024
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Grandfather Lou Blaney was a legend on dirt tracks, and his father Dave Blaney raced in NASCAR.David Faris, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Knowing how to hold your own in a game of pool is great for social situations with friends who want a little competition.Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
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Yes, Josh Hader had departed, but Robert Suarez was first in line in a competition — at least as it was laid out at the start of spring training — that included former Korean closer Woo-Suk Go.Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But Washington’s refusal to let Seoul act on its concerns now sets the allies up for an unnecessary confrontation.Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
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This heated confrontation quickly escalated, and soon after, a match between the two was officially announced for January 11, 2025, at an upcoming ROW event.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near face-off
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/face-off. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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