variants
or less commonly play-off
1
: a final contest, series of contests, or period of play to determine the winner between contestants or teams that have tied
a golf tournament decided by an 18-hole playoff
a sudden-death playoff
2
: a series of contests played after the end of the regular season to determine a championship
—usually plural except when used before another noun
Will you watch the playoffs?
got tickets to a playoff game
played off; playing off; plays off
1
a
: to set in opposition for one's own gain
b
: to set in contrast
2
: to complete the playing of (an interrupted contest)
3
: to break (a tie) by a playoff
Examples of playoff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
New York fell to 2-5 with the loss to Denver, but could very well be a playoff contender if the team had closed some loose ends in some of their losses.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Landry also played off the ball some in base personnel.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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.
Noun
As the Charlotte Hornets begin their quest to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought and tip off the second year under coach Charles Lee, questions abound.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
New York fell to 2-5 with the loss to Denver, but could very well be a playoff contender if the team had closed some loose ends in some of their losses.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
But Mitchell playing off the bench on Monday could also be a product of him working his way back after missing time this preseason because of his calf issue.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Landry also played off the ball some in base personnel.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
Cite this Entry
“Playoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playoff. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share