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
Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The centre asked more questions than any other player on how to improve his play in the defensive zone, on face-offs and on the penalty kill.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Ben Ali H Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
Two of the best teams in the NBA face off on Saturday when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Boston Celtics in what could be the game of the season.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
This was also not the finale of House of David or anything, as the show still has four more episodes to go, including its two-part David versus Goliath finale, one of the most famous biblical face-offs.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The centre asked more questions than any other player on how to improve his play in the defensive zone, on face-offs and on the penalty kill.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
This week, Bishop’s (2-0) faces off at home against in-town rival La Jolla High at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, and travels to Carlsbad at 5:30 p.m. March 15.
—Ben Ali H Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
Two of the best teams in the NBA face off on Saturday when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Boston Celtics in what could be the game of the season.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 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 21 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share