square off

verb

squared off; squaring off; squares off

intransitive verb

1

: to take a fighting stance : prepare to fight

also : to fight or argue

squared off in a debate

2

: to compete in a contest

The two teams squared off for the championship.

transitive verb

: to make square : to give (something) straight edges, flat surfaces, or sharp, even corners

Examples of square off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The teams square off for the second time in conference play this season. —ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026

The series has some of the beats of a crime-romance-family drama, but also heightened visual moments such as Shannon levitating, or the rival crime families squaring off in a operatic slow-mo sequence. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026

Both teams will square off in region finals matches Tuesday night. —Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026

Coastal Athletic Association members Hampton and North Carolina A&T square off atop the Forum floor. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for square off

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