save someone's face

English

Verb

save 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)

1. (idiomatic) to preserve someone's pride, especially as defined by customary social settings.

Related terms

• save face

References

• “save someone’s face”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.