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
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024
Going into a debate with GOP VP nominee Sen J.D. Vance (R-OH) on October 1, Gov. Walz is at the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota face-off in n Ann Arbor Saturday.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2024
Alison Durkee, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will face off in what could be their first and only head-to-head meeting in this high-spirited campaign season.
—Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
Noun
Without the distracting histrionics of the blustering Republican nominee, the Vance-Walz face-off could prove more substantive than the two presidential debates that took place this summer.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024
Going into a debate with GOP VP nominee Sen J.D. Vance (R-OH) on October 1, Gov. Walz is at the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota face-off in n Ann Arbor Saturday.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2024
Verb
News Peg Vance will face off against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at Tuesday’s debate in New York City.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will face off in what could be their first and only head-to-head meeting in this high-spirited campaign season.
—Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'face-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 5 Oct. 2024.
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