game face

American  

[geym feys] / 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

The aboatia puts his game face on, which means baring his teeth and puffing up his fur.

From Literature

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

As they move, their screens light up with different colors — crossing into “Winter Caverns” changes their game face to blue.

From Los Angeles Times

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

For Hart, “Who’s Having My Baby?” will not drop in the spring, but Season 4 of his “Celebrity Game Face” will.

From Los Angeles Times