pair off

phrasal 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

Initially, this set my teeth on edge—two characters with seemingly little interest in each other being paired off with the chaotic insistence of a child making her soft toys kiss. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 July 2025

The show follows singles in a Fiji villa pairing off for love and a $100,000 prize — with fan votes determining who stays, who goes, and who recouples. —Kat Tran, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025

The monogamous birds paired off, however, leaving Cookie solo. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025

Couples tended to meet through friends or family; people would get to know each other for a while before pairing off. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025

Rhymes for pair off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff