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
Leila Cobo, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
The boom comes as the tariff spat with Washington has kicked up nationalistic support in China, and a promise not to back down in its face-off with the US.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
Christopher plays Anatoly Sergievsky, a Soviet chess champion who faces off against an American (Aaron Tveit), with a woman caught between them (Lea Michele).
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
But for music fans, the real face-off will be between Argentine DJ and producer Bizarrap and Puerto Rican star Daddy Yankee.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
The boom comes as the tariff spat with Washington has kicked up nationalistic support in China, and a promise not to back down in its face-off with the US.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
With Monday marking the first time that the Heat and Cavaliers have faced off this season, last season’s lopsided first-round playoff series between the two teams was a popular topic.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
Christopher plays Anatoly Sergievsky, a Soviet chess champion who faces off against an American (Aaron Tveit), with a woman caught between them (Lea Michele).
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2025.
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