face-saving

British  

adjective

1. maintaining dignity or prestige

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Explanation

Anything face-saving protects you from humiliation. Slip and fall in the school cafeteria, and you might use the face-saving tactic of pretending you did it on purpose. You know, for a joke. The concept of something being face-saving varies between cultures; what's undignified or dishonorable in one might be no big deal in another. It's all about the idea of face, or dignity in front of a social group, and the potential loss of it. In a negotiation between two countries, the winning side sometimes grants some face-saving concessions to the loser, to make their loss less humiliating or embarrassing.

Example Sentences

Eventually, it’s likely that the Justice Department finds a face-saving way to drop the inquiry and allow Warsh’s nomination to move forward, said Stifel chief Washington policy strategist Brian Gardner.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

They’d do better to drop it entirely, but at least the delay gives everyone a face-saving off-ramp.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

For instance, in the film, Prince Andrew is told Covid is to be used as a face-saving excuse for him not to be at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2024

That may sound like face-saving spin from a guy who could tell he wasn’t likely to get it.

From Slate • Aug. 10, 2024

Instead, behind closed doors, a face-saving deal had quickly been struck.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini