# save someone's face

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/save-someones-face
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- 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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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.