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
James Boyd, New York Times, 1 June 2025
The 6-foot-4 Georgia product has led his club to the playoffs across the last four of his five pro seasons, only missing out as a rookie in 2020-21.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2025
May 15, 2025 The winner for comedic effect Wednesday night was the Chicago Bears playing off the common name of new coach Ben Johnson, featuring Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Lamorne Morris.
—Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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Noun
He’s been on this stage before, winning a championship with the Nuggets in 2022-23, but Bryant played just 29 seconds during that 20-game playoff run and only appeared at the very end of Game 3 of the finals.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 1 June 2025
The 6-foot-4 Georgia product has led his club to the playoffs across the last four of his five pro seasons, only missing out as a rookie in 2020-21.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025
Verb
The brown-red tones of the floors play off the warm green walls, and gold finishes complete the earthy transformation in the room.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2025
May 15, 2025 The winner for comedic effect Wednesday night was the Chicago Bears playing off the common name of new coach Ben Johnson, featuring Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Lamorne Morris.
—Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 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 5 Jun. 2025.
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