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
Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The centre asked more questions than any other player on how to improve his play in the defensive zone, on face-offs and on the penalty kill.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
The Heat takes on the Hawks in Atlanta on Monday before the two teams face off again on Wednesday in Miami.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
This was also not the finale of House of David or anything, as the show still has four more episodes to go, including its two-part David versus Goliath finale, one of the most famous biblical face-offs.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The centre asked more questions than any other player on how to improve his play in the defensive zone, on face-offs and on the penalty kill.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
His latest new experience Saturday was also a challenging one: facing off against the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant, one of the best forwards in NBA history.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
The Heat takes on the Hawks in Atlanta on Monday before the two teams face off again on Wednesday in Miami.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
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