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Save face
To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.
📖 Definitions of "Save face"
verb
- 1
To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.
"He tried to make reparations to those he had injured, partly to save face."
💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Save face"
Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| save someone's faceverb | (idiomatic) to preserve someone's pride, especially as defined by customary social settings. |
| saveverb | (transitive) To prevent harm or difficulty. |
| downfacenoun | The face that is oriented downward. |
| save one's neckverb | Synonym of save one's skin. |
| save one's skinverb | To escape without injury. |
| spare someone's blushesverb | (idiomatic) To save someone from embarrassment. |
| save someone's skinverb | (idiomatic, informal) To save someone's life. |
| save the furnitureverb | (idiomatic, UK, Canada, Australia) To salvage something positive from a calamitous situation, especially one involving the reputation or fate of a political party. |
| lose faceverb | (idiomatic, intransitive) To lose the respect of others; to be humiliated or experience public disgrace. |
| fall on one's swordverb | (idiomatic) To voluntarily take the blame for a situation. |
| compromisenoun | The settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions. |
| spare | Extra. |
| brazen outverb | (idiomatic, transitive) To face up to or confront (one's own misconduct or deceit) without shame. |
| close the faceverb | (idiomatic, cricket) To turn the face of the bat inwards, in order to hit the ball to the leg side. |
| contain oneselfverb | (reflexive) To exercise restraint in the expression one's emotions |
| save the dayverb | (idiomatic, sometimes humorous) To rescue a person or situation from imminent danger or major failure. |
| hold oververb | (intransitive) To remain in office, possession, residency etc., beyond a certain date. |
| salt awayverb | (transitive, idiomatic) To save or preserve (especially money) for future use. |
| keep it togetherverb | (informal, idiomatic) To maintain composure; to avoid an overly emotional reaction; to suppress an instinct or urge. |
| keep one's nose cleanverb | (idiomatic) To stay out of trouble, especially by avoiding unlawful behavior. |
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