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
Verb
eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
Recent Examples on the Web
The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
In a bid to avert wider war in the Middle East, the United States and other world leaders are urging Israel to see victory in its unprecedented military face-off with Iran over the weekend.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
But even as fans watched the action on the ice, another kind of face-off isn't far from the minds of Erie County residents.
—Don Gonyea, NPR, 13 Apr. 2024
The men spent months quietly positioning themselves for the eventual face-off.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Through the month of March, states compete with one another over who can recruit the most volunteer observers in a face-off called Precipitation Absurdity.
—Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2024
Many a would-be dominator of the racetrack or the boulevard face-off has been spanked silly by a Corvette, red or otherwise.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
The face-off between Texas and the federal government over whether the state can enforce its own immigration policy reflects a broader and recurring feature of American politics: a number of hot-button issues have become proxy battles over who gets to decide.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cartwright is up for re-election again this year, when Pennsylvania will take center stage as a top battleground state as Trump and President Biden tee up another face-off for the White House.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
The Arizona Coyotes face off — on the ice — for the last time on Wednesday.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
The home team Erie Otters faced off against the Kitchener Rangers from Ontario, Canada.
—Don Gonyea, NPR, 13 Apr. 2024
Here’s who will face off in November in close local Assembly and Chula Vista races.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024
Caitlin Clark and the No. 1 seed Iowa Hawkeyes face off against Kamilla Cardoso and the No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks for a chance to hoist the 2024 national championship trophy.
—Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2024
Shortly after, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes faced off against Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Tekken 8 Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S Release Date: January 26, 2023
The next chapter in the Tekken fighting game saga sees Kazuya and Jin face off in a father vs. son clash.
—PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024
On the men’s side, Purdue and UConn will face off in the championship game later today.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
There, the team would play for 18 years, dropping the first puck on Dec. 27, 2003 in a face-off against the Nashville Predators.
—The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
In a bid to avert wider war in the Middle East, the United States and other world leaders are urging Israel to see victory in its unprecedented military face-off with Iran over the weekend.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
But even as fans watched the action on the ice, another kind of face-off isn't far from the minds of Erie County residents.
—Don Gonyea, NPR, 13 Apr. 2024
The men spent months quietly positioning themselves for the eventual face-off.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Through the month of March, states compete with one another over who can recruit the most volunteer observers in a face-off called Precipitation Absurdity.
—Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2024
Many a would-be dominator of the racetrack or the boulevard face-off has been spanked silly by a Corvette, red or otherwise.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
The face-off between Texas and the federal government over whether the state can enforce its own immigration policy reflects a broader and recurring feature of American politics: a number of hot-button issues have become proxy battles over who gets to decide.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cartwright is up for re-election again this year, when Pennsylvania will take center stage as a top battleground state as Trump and President Biden tee up another face-off for the White House.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
Verb
In the film, as an imminent construction project looms over a beloved small-town baseball field, a pair of New England Sunday league teams face off for the last time over the course of a day.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
The Arizona Coyotes face off — on the ice — for the last time on Wednesday.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
The home team Erie Otters faced off against the Kitchener Rangers from Ontario, Canada.
—Don Gonyea, NPR, 13 Apr. 2024
Here’s who will face off in November in close local Assembly and Chula Vista races.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024
Caitlin Clark and the No. 1 seed Iowa Hawkeyes face off against Kamilla Cardoso and the No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks for a chance to hoist the 2024 national championship trophy.
—Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2024
Shortly after, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes faced off against Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Tekken 8 Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S Release Date: January 26, 2023
The next chapter in the Tekken fighting game saga sees Kazuya and Jin face off in a father vs. son clash.
—PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024
On the men’s side, Purdue and UConn will face off in the championship game later today.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
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 23 Apr. 2024.
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