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
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
The Senators’ chances of making the playoffs remain high with eight games remaining.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Michael Loré, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Like any trolling post, it’s meant to be simultaneously taken seriously and played off as a dumb online joke.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
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Noun
In the past, fighters earned points in two regular-season bouts, with the highest point earners moving onto the playoffs.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
The Senators’ chances of making the playoffs remain high with eight games remaining.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
Waggle Golf Azalea Collection Each year, the Waggle Golf team picks a tradition to play off of for its Masters collection.
—Michael Loré, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Like any trolling post, it’s meant to be simultaneously taken seriously and played off as a dumb online joke.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playoff
Cite this Entry
“Playoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playoff. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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