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
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
In January of 1993, the early 90s Gang Green defense won its only playoff game at the Superdome.
—Matt Breen The Philadelphia Inquirer, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2025
Zach Harper, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Dishes play off of each other in delightful ways, like the translucent half-moon of shrimp carpaccio, topped with shavings of sea bream bottarga and dancing in a bergamot and almond oil dressing.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for playoff 
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Noun
The club missed the playoffs in 2023, prompting an influx of early arrivals at Himes, the team’s player development complex that sits across the street from George M. Steinbrenner Field, last winter.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
In January of 1993, the early 90s Gang Green defense won its only playoff game at the Superdome.
—Matt Breen The Philadelphia Inquirer, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
Ingram can run some of the offense through his hands or play off Barnes or Barrett by stretching the floor.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Dishes play off of each other in delightful ways, like the translucent half-moon of shrimp carpaccio, topped with shavings of sea bream bottarga and dancing in a bergamot and almond oil dressing.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for playoff
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Cite this Entry
“Playoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playoff. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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