save someone's face
to preserve someone's pride, especially as defined by customary social settings.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He lied to save his friend's face.”
“She blamed the technical error on the software to save her colleague's face during the meeting.”
“By framing the public correction as a minor oversight, the manager managed to save his employee's face without damaging her professional reputation.”
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another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
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answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
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answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
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apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
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bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
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bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
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bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
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be someone's to lose
To be anticipated to be won by someone.
Last updated August 10, 2026