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
Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
But the face-off ended with Rhodes hitting his finishing maneuver, Cross Rhodes, on Cena and left him sprawled out in the middle of the ring.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
The winner of that game will face Duke or Houston, who face off at 8:50 p.m. ET Saturday.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
Races on the ballot in local counties included a face-off between current Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and challenger John Laesch, city council and school board races and a number of local referendums, including a 0.75% sales tax question being put to voters in Kane County.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
But the face-off ended with Rhodes hitting his finishing maneuver, Cross Rhodes, on Cena and left him sprawled out in the middle of the ring.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
Owens was particularly well-regarded for his time in ROH, facing off against the likes of Adam Pearce, Nigel McGuinness (Nick Aldis), Tyler Black (Seth Rollins), and El Generico (Sami Zayn).
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
The winner of that game will face Duke or Houston, who face off at 8:50 p.m. ET Saturday.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 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 8 Apr. 2025.
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