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
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Dec. 2024
Pittsburgh won a Week 11 face-off with the Ravens by a score of 18-16.
—Valentina Martinez, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Among the film’s many pleasures is watching Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise face off, with the latter playing a green Navy attorney who reports into Demi Moore’s Lieutenant and pursues a murder case involving two marines tried for killing a fellow soldier.
—Tomris Laffly, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
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Noun
Though Swift has not attended any of Travis Kelce's away games this NFL season, she has been spotted at nearly every single home game, with the exception of their face-off against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 8.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Dec. 2024
Pittsburgh won a Week 11 face-off with the Ravens by a score of 18-16.
—Valentina Martinez, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
Alison Brie's Evil-Lyn will face off against Nicholas Galitzine's He-Man in Masters of the Universe
Bumblebee director Travis Knight will helm Masters of the Universe, which hasn't had a live-action film adaptation since 1987.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Among the film’s many pleasures is watching Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise face off, with the latter playing a green Navy attorney who reports into Demi Moore’s Lieutenant and pursues a murder case involving two marines tried for killing a fellow soldier.
—Tomris Laffly, TIME, 20 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 2024.
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