variants
or less commonly play-off
1
: a final contest, series of contests, or period of play to determine the winner between contestants or teams that have tied
a golf tournament decided by an 18-hole playoff
a sudden-death playoff
2
: a series of contests played after the end of the regular season to determine a championship
—usually plural except when used before another noun
Will you watch the playoffs?
got tickets to a playoff game
played off; playing off; plays off
1
a
: to set in opposition for one's own gain
b
: to set in contrast
2
: to complete the playing of (an interrupted contest)
3
: to break (a tie) by a playoff
Examples of playoff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
George Ramsay, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025
The challenge, of course, is that the NBA schedule doesn’t always provide big games like this one, the Lakers facing a team that knocked them out of the playoffs the last two seasons.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
Their color—tortoiseshell with an ivory interior—played off both my lighter complexion and dark hair.
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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Noun
In Monday’s second match, Atlanta Drive Golf Club defeated Boston Common Golf Club 6-3 to join LA in the playoffs.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025
The challenge, of course, is that the NBA schedule doesn’t always provide big games like this one, the Lakers facing a team that knocked them out of the playoffs the last two seasons.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
Cora played off concerns about the two players sharing the spotlight.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
Their color—tortoiseshell with an ivory interior—played off both my lighter complexion and dark hair.
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
Articles Related to playoff
Cite this Entry
“Playoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playoff. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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