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
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
In a climactic battle that fans have been waiting for since the show’s series premiere, Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr) have a years-in-the-making, bloody face-off.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 May 2026
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Hilton and Becerra will most likely come in first place and face off in the November election.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
The Republican race has played out as a face-off between the power structures of conservative Texas politics.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
In a climactic battle that fans have been waiting for since the show’s series premiere, Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr) have a years-in-the-making, bloody face-off.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 May 2026
Verb
With Kean running unopposed in the June 2 Republican primary, whichever Democrat faces off against him in November will almost certainly shape their campaign around his disappearance.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Hilton and Becerra will most likely come in first place and face off in the November election.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 23 May 2026
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 28 May. 2026.
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