face off

verb

faced off; facing off; faces off
Synonyms of face offnext

intransitive verb

: 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

eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
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.
At a celebratory exhibition match last week in the capital, under the watchful eye of the supreme leader, Naegohyang faced off against the under-17s team, who just added an Asian Cup to their impressive array of silverware, trouncing Japan 5-1 in the final. Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026 On June 5, He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) and Skeletor (Jared Leto) face off in the eternal fight between good and evil. Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026 The two will face off in November. John Seiler, Oc Register, 4 June 2026 Unless a mayoral candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two vote-getters will face off in November. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for face off

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of face off was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Face off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face%20off. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

face-off

1 of 2 noun
ˈfā-ˌsȯf
1
: a method of putting a puck in play in ice hockey by dropping it between two opposing players
2
: a meeting of opposing forces : confrontation

face off

2 of 2 verb
: to be in or come into opposition or competition
politicians facing off each other in a debate

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