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
Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Porzingis returned to action as the regular season wound down, but his symptoms returned in the playoffs, zapping his energy and severely limiting his effectiveness.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
John Hollinger, New York Times, 16 June 2025
That star duo began to play off of one another late in Game 4, which generated enough points to hold off Indiana late.
—Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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Noun
Although the Steelers' playoff run was short, Wilson started in his 17th postseason game as the Steelers looked to make it out of the Wild Card round.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Porzingis returned to action as the regular season wound down, but his symptoms returned in the playoffs, zapping his energy and severely limiting his effectiveness.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
Verb
Bane had been pressed into more on-ball reps the last two years in Memphis due to injuries and roster issues but should thrive playing off the ball next to Orlando’s two high-usage forwards.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 16 June 2025
That star duo began to play off of one another late in Game 4, which generated enough points to hold off Indiana late.
—Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 15 June 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 1 Jul. 2025.
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