pair off
verb
paired off; pairing off; pairs off
1
: to join together in a romantic relationship
He hated being single while his friends were pairing off and having kids.
2
: to join or to cause others to join to form a group of two
People paired off for the next dance.
She paired the students off.
Examples of pair off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Our diminutive hero, at a little more than a year and a half, is old enough for a mate, but there are only about 250 piping plovers summering around the Great Lakes, and many are already paired off.
—
Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The team paired off roaches and placed them in artificial nest boxes.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
March Madness’s main tournament starts by pairing off 64 of the highest-level college basketball teams into 32 games.
—Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026
Eventually, Annie and Link pair off and things get hot and heavy in the Jungle Room.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pair off
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Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The team paired off roaches and placed them in artificial nest boxes.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
March Madness’s main tournament starts by pairing off 64 of the highest-level college basketball teams into 32 games.
—Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026
Eventually, Annie and Link pair off and things get hot and heavy in the Jungle Room.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pair off
Cite this Entry
“Pair off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pair%20off. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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