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
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
An eighth-grader at Maranatha Christian School won the county spelling bee Thursday, beating his closest rival after a one-on-one face-off that lasted 13 rounds.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 11 Mar. 2026
On March 31, the Lions of Mesopotamia are due to play the winner of Bolivia and Suriname, who face off five days earlier, in a playoff qualifier for a berth in the 2026 World Cup.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
Mansour, in a December podcast interview, likened his beef with Coplan with one of the most rousing rivalries in NFL history, the face-off between Tom Brady and Eli Manning over football quarterback supremacy.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
An eighth-grader at Maranatha Christian School won the county spelling bee Thursday, beating his closest rival after a one-on-one face-off that lasted 13 rounds.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Rebecca Morin Voters in Mississippi will choose which candidates will face off in November to fill a Senate seat and the entire House delegation.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 11 Mar. 2026
On March 31, the Lions of Mesopotamia are due to play the winner of Bolivia and Suriname, who face off five days earlier, in a playoff qualifier for a berth in the 2026 World Cup.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 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 11 Mar. 2026.
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