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

After squaring off in the ring, the two developed a long-term friendship that eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025

Disney is the latest in a series of media companies to square off with Google over YouTube TV in recent months. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

In the film, they’re forced to square off against a rival boy band called the Saja Boys, who are also secretly demons. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025

As Carmel and Westfield get ready to square off in the IHSAA football state tournament, leaders of the two cities have agreed to a friendly wager that will benefit the community. —Jake Allen, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025

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