variants
or less commonly play-off
1
: a final contest, series of contests, or period of play to determine the winner between contestants or teams that have tied
a golf tournament decided by an 18-hole playoff
a sudden-death playoff
2
: a series of contests played after the end of the regular season to determine a championship
—usually plural except when used before another noun
Will you watch the playoffs?
got tickets to a playoff game
played off; playing off; plays off
1
a
: to set in opposition for one's own gain
b
: to set in contrast
2
: to complete the playing of (an interrupted contest)
3
: to break (a tie) by a playoff
Examples of playoff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
But a road loss to Bulls before that was a critical defeat that has Miami now needing two straight play-in wins to extend its season into the proper playoffs.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
Michael Loré, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Like any trolling post, it’s meant to be simultaneously taken seriously and played off as a dumb online joke.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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Noun
Although the coach did not want to formally rule Ball out of either game, Donovan said the Bulls are currently focused on attempting to return Ball to the rotation in the playoffs if the team is able to advance.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
But a road loss to Bulls before that was a critical defeat that has Miami now needing two straight play-in wins to extend its season into the proper playoffs.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
Waggle Golf Azalea Collection Each year, the Waggle Golf team picks a tradition to play off of for its Masters collection.
—Michael Loré, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Like any trolling post, it’s meant to be simultaneously taken seriously and played off as a dumb online joke.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
Cite this Entry
“Playoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playoff. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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