save face
idiom
: to avoid having other people lose respect for oneself
He tried to save face by working overtime.
Examples of save face in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some analysts interpreted that as meaning that Iran wanted to put on a show of force to save face after the killing of its officers but did not want a full-fledged war with Israel or the United States.
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Peter Baker, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The unusual bout of legislative maneuvering late in session provided a way for both DeSantis and Renner to save face on one of the speaker’s top priorities.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024
Milan would only likely contemplate selling Leao for north of $129m, with the Rossoneri knowing PSG need to make a statement in order to save face following Mbappe’s departure.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
By forcing users into arbitration, 23andMe would also seemingly spare substantial litigation costs and save face by avoiding public hearings.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for save face 
Peter Baker, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The unusual bout of legislative maneuvering late in session provided a way for both DeSantis and Renner to save face on one of the speaker’s top priorities.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024
Milan would only likely contemplate selling Leao for north of $129m, with the Rossoneri knowing PSG need to make a statement in order to save face following Mbappe’s departure.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
By forcing users into arbitration, 23andMe would also seemingly spare substantial litigation costs and save face by avoiding public hearings.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for save face
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'save face.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Save face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/save%20face. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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