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
Synonyms
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
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
But toward the end of the evening, things picked up in a big way, ultimately leaving us high from a face-off that that was a genuine knockout.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 4 Nov. 2024
Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are facing off to see who will be in control of the White House for the next four years.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
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Noun
This is a talky chamber piece of philosophical face-offs, debate duels and wordy warfare, though the outcomes remain just as harrowing.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
But toward the end of the evening, things picked up in a big way, ultimately leaving us high from a face-off that that was a genuine knockout.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
San Jose’s Pacific Motor Inn reopens as interim housing
San Mateo County District 4 race: East Palo Alto’s Lopez and Gauthier face off
Like Kraucy, 65-year-old Joseph Smith lives in his sister’s garage but often comes to meet his friends who are homeless to uplift their spirits.
—Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are facing off to see who will be in control of the White House for the next four years.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off
Dictionary Entries Near face-off
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face-off. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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