put faces to names

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "put faces to names" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you meet people for the first time who you already know the names of and need to associate the names with the people. For example, "When I walked into the room and saw all the people I had been emailing, I was finally able to put faces to names."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"They're trying to put faces to names, because sometimes they only know someone by their first names," Corcoran said.

The New York Times - Sports

"They shared work using hangouts, but mainly the platform was a way to put faces to names and meet who they were creating work for," says Sharp.

The Guardian

But first, fair warning to the reader: there is no slideshow down there, just a few photos to help put faces to names.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Finally, we can put faces to names.

TechCrunch

Plus you know when you got a LinkedIn invite from within the app, so you can put faces to names from the event you just went to.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Taggar says it's useful for putting faces to names and that they'll probably add a section for skills like the ability to code in Python and so on.

TechCrunch

Many times it gives us the ability to really put face to name and thank them for all they have done for us both online and at concerts.

Huffington Post

Maybe I would have done if I'd been able to put faces to their names.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"I can put faces to the names," said Carol Wade, a resident of Orange for 27 years.

The New York Times

Part of the point of making a documentary about all this, Hustwit explains, is to put faces to the names of great designers such as Vignelli whose work surrounds us every day but whose identities remain more or less unknown.

The Guardian - Film

"I think the most difficult piece for me was seeing pictures of the victims; putting faces to the names has been tough," Aguilar said.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "put faces to names" when describing the experience of finally meeting people you've only known by their names, often in professional or online contexts. For instance, "The conference allowed me to "put faces to names" of many collaborators."

Common error

Avoid using "put faces to names" when the context is about identifying unknown individuals; this phrase implies a prior awareness of their names. If you're trying to identify someone unknown, say "identify the person" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "put faces to names" functions as an idiomatic expression. It signifies the action of associating a visual appearance with a name one already knows. Ludwig provides several examples demonstrating this usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "put faces to names" is a common idiom used to describe the act of meeting someone in person whose name was already known. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and widely used, especially in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, ensure it aligns with the intended meaning: finally associating a visual appearance with a known name. Alternatives include "associate faces with names" or "match faces to identities". Be mindful of its scope, as it's not appropriate for identifying unknown individuals, but rather for connecting a known identity with a face.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

associate faces with names

Reorders the words while keeping the core meaning intact.

match faces to identities

Substitutes "identities" for "names", emphasizing the person's overall identity.

connect faces with known people

Emphasizes the connection being made and clarifies that the people are already known.

recognize people by face

Focuses on the recognition aspect, implying that the names are already known.

identify people visually

Uses more formal language to convey the same concept.

meet the person behind the name

Highlights the act of meeting someone whose name was previously known.

see who someone is

A more general phrase, it focuses on visually identifying someone.

visualize the individual

Focuses on forming a mental image to match a name.

know someone by sight

Focuses on familiarity based on visual recognition.

acquaint oneself visually

Formal way to express becoming familiar with someone's appearance.

FAQs

How can I use "put faces to names" in a sentence?

You can use "put faces to names" to describe the act of finally meeting someone you only knew by name, for example, "It was great to finally "put faces to names" at the conference".

What's a similar expression to "put faces to names"?

Alternatives include "associate faces with names", "match faces to identities", or "connect faces with known people".

When is it appropriate to use "put faces to names"?

It's appropriate when you are meeting someone in person for the first time after having known them by name, typically in a professional or online setting. It signifies associating a visual identity with a known name.

Is "put a face to a name" the same as "put faces to names"?

While "put a face to a name" is grammatically acceptable, it's often used when talking about doing this for one specific individual. "Put faces to names" usually refers to multiple people.