playoff

1 of 2

noun

play·​off ˈplā-ˌȯf 

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

play off

2 of 2

verb

played off; playing off; plays off

transitive verb

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

Noun

Thunder general manager Sam Presti didn’t specify how long both will miss, but they are expected to miss months, at a minimum, putting their availability for any playoff run — especially a deep one — in serious doubt. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026

Vrabel then chose to start Joshua Dobbs over Willis in the final two games that year, as the Titans missed the playoffs after suffering seven consecutive losses to end the season. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

Verb

Canales wasn’t quick enough to throw his challenge flag, and the Eagles were smart enough to get the next play off in time. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026

The psychedelic blurring of genre boundaries plays off the titular concept, which, says Grian Chatten in press materials, describes the environment of the album itself. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for playoff

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

Kids Definition

play-off

1 of 2 noun

ˈplā-ˌȯf

1

: a final contest or series of contests to break a tie

2

: a series of contests played after the end of the regular season to determine a championship

—often used in plural

play off

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)plā-ˈȯf

: to break a tie by a play-off