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 Soviet team, in blood red, squares off against the neighboring Finns, in serene white and blue. —Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026

Schererville Town Councilman Kevin Connelly, R-2, will face Jeff Myszak in the primary, and the winner will square off against Democrat Jeff Kuhn. —Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026

Don Juan Moore | Getty Images The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots aren’t the only ones squaring off this weekend. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026

Notably, the Seahawks have squared off against five running QBs this year and only Jayden Daniels (51 yards) did much against them. —Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 6 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