facelift
noun
face·lift
ˈfās-ˌlift 
variants
or face lift
or face-lift
plural facelifts or face lifts or face-lifts
1
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)
[Robert] Redford's publicist of 33 years, Lois Smith, denies her client has had any sort of facelift, eye job or chemical peel. "He's never, never, never had cosmetic surgery," she says.—
People Weekly
People WeeklyMany face lifts last between five and 10 years, but the procedure can cause hematomas, bleeding and nerve damage …—Mary Murphy
Mary MurphyTechnically, a face-lift "lifts" both the face and the neck, and many plastic surgeons believe the neck shows the more dramatic improvement.—Vogue
Vogue2
: an alteration, restoration, or restyling (as of a building) intended especially to modernize
The facelift was intended to return the 95-year-old hall's acclaimed acoustics to original purity …—US News & World Report
US News & World ReportOver time, the building was given a $15 million face lift, which created a new entrance on Fifth Avenue, subdued but plush interiors and escalators.—Carrie Donovan
Carrie DonovanAll 48 models from kids bikes to $3,000 racing bikes were redesigned … and each got a color and graphics face-lift.—Laura Loro
Laura Loro
facelift
transitive verb
or face-lift
or less commonly face lift
facelifted or face-lifted also face lifted; facelifting or face-lifting also face lifting; facelifts or face-lifts also face lifts
… said she would like to add more parking and continue to work on facelifting the venue.
—Dean Manning
Dean Manning
… a former vaudeville palace recently face-lifted into a glittering performing arts center.
—Priit Vesilind
Priit Vesilind
Examples of facelift in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The businesswoman recently revealed all the cosmetic work she's had done, including three facelifts, in a June 4 post shared to Threads.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Hundreds of slow zones have been repaired and removed, and several stations have received major facelifts.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The hotel has been through a few facelifts over the years.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2025
Slimmer headlights with vertical LED configurations are also part of the 2026 exterior facelift.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
San Francisco gave itself a major facelift this offseason by letting several key members of its defense leave.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Gallatin Planning Director Brian Rose says the burger, shakes and fries restaurant at 1006 Westgate Drive is getting a facelift.
—Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
As the college football season begins in earnest on Saturday, universities like Auburn are giving their home fields a facelift.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In the future, Hintz wants to continue giving the indoor spaces a facelift with things like new locker rooms, food and beverage offerings and possibly day care.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
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Catherine Santino, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Hundreds of slow zones have been repaired and removed, and several stations have received major facelifts.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The hotel has been through a few facelifts over the years.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2025
Slimmer headlights with vertical LED configurations are also part of the 2026 exterior facelift.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
San Francisco gave itself a major facelift this offseason by letting several key members of its defense leave.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Gallatin Planning Director Brian Rose says the burger, shakes and fries restaurant at 1006 Westgate Drive is getting a facelift.
—Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
As the college football season begins in earnest on Saturday, universities like Auburn are giving their home fields a facelift.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In the future, Hintz wants to continue giving the indoor spaces a facelift with things like new locker rooms, food and beverage offerings and possibly day care.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Facelift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facelift. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
facelift
noun
face·lift
variants
or face lift
or face-lift
: plastic surgery on the face and neck to remove or reduce signs of aging (such as wrinkles or sagging skin)
called also rhytidectomy
facelift
transitive verb
or face-lift
also face lift
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