save someone's face

verb

to preserve someone's pride, especially as defined by customary social settings.

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Meanings

verbsave someone's face (third-person singular simple present saves someone's face, present participle saving someone's face, simple past and past participle saved someone's face)

present singular third person saves someone's face · participle present saving someone's face · participle past saved someone's face · past saved someone's face

  1. idiomaticto preserve someone's pride, especially as defined by customary social settings.
Cite this entry
APA

save someone's face. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/save%20someone's%20face

MLA

“save someone's face.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/save%20someone's%20face. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “save someone's face,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/save%20someone's%20face.

Source: save someone's face on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.