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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 faces off Democrats find themselves in a similar situation this year, as a young up-and-comer faces off against a GOP opponent widely seen as vulnerable. — Eleanor Dearman updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 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 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
  1. competes
  2. contends
  3. races
Verb
  • The 2026 Honda Pilot competes against rivals like the Toyota Grand Highlander and Kia Telluride.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Their case counts wide-release theatrical movies and the basic cable bundle, and leaves out streaming, YouTube, sports rights, and everything else that now competes for the same hours of your evening.
    — Shubha Ghosh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of competes
Verb
  • Summary This article contends that inflation management is not, and never has been, the Federal Reserve's core responsibility.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The company contends its plan serves the town, the residential marketplace and the interest of historic preservation.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of contends
Verb
  • In its breathless finale, Curry races through the mansion reconstructing every murder, flinging himself through doors and corridors while maintaining the verbal precision of a stage actor performing at double speed.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Finn Gomez / Getty Images Kirkwood, who races for Andretti Global, started second but took the lead on the opening lap with a daring maneuver around the outside of pole-sitter and championship leader Alex Palou in front of the National Archives.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of races

Browse Nearby Words

faces
faces off
faces up (to)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Faces off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faces%20off. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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