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cook-off

1 of 2

noun

: a cooking competition

cook off

2 of 2

verb

cooked off; cooking off; cooks off

intransitive verb

of a cartridge
: to fire as a result of overheating

Examples of cook-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Similar to Tournament of Champions, chefs on the festive version fight in a bracket-style competition and are thrown curveballs by the randomizer, a lottery-style machine used on TOC that determines the protein, produce, equipment, cooking style and time set for each cook-off. Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025 The festival also has live music, a vendor market, beer garden, a chili cook-off with local restaurants and a kids costume parade. Lulu Jaeckel, Twin Cities, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
Firefighters will let a fire burning at an outdoor gun range in southern Colorado burn out on its own due to concerns of unfired ammunition cooking off. Austen Erblat, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025 The key to this classic is making sure cook off all the liquid in the summer squash, because no one wants a watery casserole. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cook-off

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cook-off was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Cook-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cook-off. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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