1
: a method of beginning play (as in hockey or lacrosse) in which two opponents face each other and attempt to gain control of a puck or ball dropped or placed between them
2
faced off; facing off; faces off
: to be in or come into opposition or competition
politicians facing off against each other in a televised debate
Examples of face-off in a Sentence
Noun
the annual fall face-off between these traditional rivals is a big event for both football-mad colleges
Verb
eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
Recent Examples on the Web
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Tensions in the South China Sea remain heightened due to face-offs and clashes between maritime forces of Manila and Beijing, which has the largest naval fleet in the world by hull count, with more than 370 vessels, as well as the world's biggest coast guard fleet.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
Here's how the play-in format works: The teams that finish seventh through 10th in the Western and Eastern conferences will face off in the play-in tournament this week to determine the final seventh and eighth seeds.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
In the present, how explosive could a face-off between Tai, Misty, and Shauna — three murderers!
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Tensions in the South China Sea remain heightened due to face-offs and clashes between maritime forces of Manila and Beijing, which has the largest naval fleet in the world by hull count, with more than 370 vessels, as well as the world's biggest coast guard fleet.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
The Heat and Bulls faced off in the NBA’s play-in tournament for the third straight season and the Heat ended the Bulls’ season in the play-in tournament for the third straight season on Wednesday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
Here's how the play-in format works: The teams that finish seventh through 10th in the Western and Eastern conferences will face off in the play-in tournament this week to determine the final seventh and eighth seeds.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face-off. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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