save face

Idioms  

1. Avoid humiliation or embarrassment, preserve dignity, as in Rather than fire him outright, they let him save face by accepting his resignation. The phrase, which uses face in the sense of “outward appearances,” is modeled on the antonym lose face. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

save face

He becomes desperate to protect himself from it and tries to save face, saying “I guess I shouldn’t have had that last Cheez-It this morning.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

"It feels like it's been drawn up on the back of a paper napkin, just so that they can save face and come across as being more reasonable."

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026

"Both sides need to be able to claim victory and save face, whatever deal they agree on," a diplomat based in the Middle East told AFP on condition of anonymity.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

To save face with her fellow pensioners, Mrs. Palfrey passes off a struggling writer she meets on the street as her grandson, only to draw confusingly close to him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

"Go away," Yoyo wailed, but they both knew she was glad her mother was there, and needed only a moment's protest to save face.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez