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

Bailey says he and his team were careful to allow ministers to "save face", altering the wording of their proposal so the government didn't look like it had climbed down.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

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

"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

But my mom wasn’t trying to save face in front of the nurses; she lied for their benefit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

But it was the only way I could save face on such short notice.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English