game face

American  

[gaym fays] / ˈgeɪm ˌfeɪs /

noun

1. a neutral or intense facial expression that suggests a focus on winning, as in a competitive sport or card game.

   The game faces at this poker tournament are as unflinching as stone.

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Etymology

Origin of game face

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

game face

Raleigh said after the Arozarena snub that he meant no disrespect to his teammate and that he’s simply trying to put on a game face for an international competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

But even an athlete as fierce as Jones accepts she may need to improve her game face when it comes to her upcoming face-off with Criss.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

Calvert, a lefty, had a steely-eyed game face, grinning only when she scored a point or stopped an opponent’s serve.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2025

Employees, feeling like expendable pawns in a grand corporate chess game, face an enormous emotional strain having to choose between their job and their home.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

When I reentered Stuyvesant in September, I approached school with my game face on.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers