1
: a method of beginning play (as in hockey or lacrosse) in which two opponents face each other and attempt to gain control of a puck or ball dropped or placed between them
2
faced off; facing off; faces off
: to be in or come into opposition or competition
politicians facing off against each other in a televised debate
Examples of face-off in a Sentence
Noun
the annual fall face-off between these traditional rivals is a big event for both football-mad colleges
Verb
eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
Recent Examples on the Web
Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Roberts' costar Ayo Edebiri talks about their intense face-off.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Mila Kunis rocked her Dodgers jersey after throwing out the first pitch at a game where the team was facing off against the Colorado Rockies back in 2018.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
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Noun
Now, only one of the finalists can be crowned the victor of the fall food face-off.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Roberts' costar Ayo Edebiri talks about their intense face-off.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
Mahomes, Kelce and the Chiefs have a tough challenge ahead in Week 9, facing off against reigning league MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in a road-game matchup at Highmark Stadium.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Mila Kunis rocked her Dodgers jersey after throwing out the first pitch at a game where the team was facing off against the Colorado Rockies back in 2018.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face-off. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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