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
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 July 2025
In fact, Pacquiao literally burst into laughter during the face-off with Barrios this week.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 11 July 2025
The second women's singles semifinal at Wimbledon will take place on Centre Court this Thursday at 9:40 a.m. ET, featuring No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek facing off against seasoned Swiss player Belinda Bencic.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
For three days, the WNBA's top players gathered in Indiana to represent the league and have a good time, with festivities leading up to a face-off between two All-Star teams led by Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 July 2025
In fact, Pacquiao literally burst into laughter during the face-off with Barrios this week.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Verb
Esperanza faced off against Los Alamitos and Coach John Barnes in the finals the next two years, falling to 8-0 and tying 14-14.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 11 July 2025
The second women's singles semifinal at Wimbledon will take place on Centre Court this Thursday at 9:40 a.m. ET, featuring No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek facing off against seasoned Swiss player Belinda Bencic.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 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 23 Jul. 2025.
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