save face

to avoid embarrassment and keep respect

Example Sentences:

My boyfriend tried to save face last night when he was skipped our date to go out with his friends by lying to me.

When the husband and wife had an argument, the husband decided to save face by apologizing.

From the Blogs:

Rihanna Trying To Save-Face w/ Stupid Tattoo Mistake!!!

Similar idioms:

1. save one’s skin
2. save one’s ass
3. get out of one’s face
4. pick up the check
5. stuff your face
6. fly in the face of
7. pick up the tab
8. about face
9. cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face
10. lose face
11. have egg on one’s face
12. blue in the face
13. open up a can of worms
14. face the music
15. check in with