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
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
The company also expanded its live broadcasts, featuring a face-off between hot dog-eating rivals Takeru Kobayashi and Choey Chestnut in September.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024
Mark Osborne, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
In a battle to fill the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is facing off against former Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.
—Joe Guillen, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
Noun
The duo also danced on Team Goofs in the night's team dance face-off, and Maher celebrated the opportunity to feel part of a team again.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
The company also expanded its live broadcasts, featuring a face-off between hot dog-eating rivals Takeru Kobayashi and Choey Chestnut in September.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
If so, good news for you, because the two sluggers are facing off with the Dodgers and Yankees, respectively.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
In a battle to fill the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is facing off against former Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.
—Joe Guillen, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'face-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 4 Nov. 2024.
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