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
Synonyms
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
Marina Watts, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
In two spectacular face-offs, Daryl utterly destroyed Losang (and, for good measure, bashed his head in with a skull), and Codron shook off a stabbing to hurl Jacinta into a wall.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 27 Oct. 2024
Noah Bressner, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
The episode also brought back the dance-offs, where pairs faced off head-to-head in the same dance style.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
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Noun
Following the game, Ronde, 49, said he was relieved their face-offs were over.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
In two spectacular face-offs, Daryl utterly destroyed Losang (and, for good measure, bashed his head in with a skull), and Codron shook off a stabbing to hurl Jacinta into a wall.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
Debate, which got the most interest in September when Trump and Harris faced off in Philadelphia.
Between the lines: Those top search terms are only the tip of the news iceberg.
—Noah Bressner, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
The episode also brought back the dance-offs, where pairs faced off head-to-head in the same dance style.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off
Dictionary Entries Near face-off
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face-off. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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