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
—used with against
They have been playing him off against his old enemies.
b
: to set in contrast
chose a sweet wine to play off the sharp cheese
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
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
The New York Mets are sure to make roster changes this offseason after missing the playoffs this season.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
Mike Sando, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The movie itself can be uneven, but watching Farrell and Christopher Lee play off one another is wonderful.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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Noun
The Cavaliers ended the Heat’s season in dominant fashion, sweeping Miami in their first-round playoff series in April.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
The New York Mets are sure to make roster changes this offseason after missing the playoffs this season.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
Williams continued to play off-schedule in the passing game Sunday.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The movie itself can be uneven, but watching Farrell and Christopher Lee play off one another is wonderful.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 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 11 Nov. 2025.
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