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
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024
Which promising young quarterback will get the win in their first face-off on Sunday: Richardson or Maye?
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 10 Dec. 2024
The week after, the 49ers faced off against the Buffalo Bills, and Samuel was targeted five times, only catching four of those balls for 20 yards.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for face-off 
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Noun
Who's winning the AI race Competition in AI is less a single race than a triathlon: There's a face-off to develop the most advanced generative AI foundation models; a battle to win customers by making AI useful; and a struggle to build costly infrastructure that makes the first two goals possible.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024
Which promising young quarterback will get the win in their first face-off on Sunday: Richardson or Maye?
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
Here is what's on the ballot: Gary Bledsoe and Mike Siegel face off in the Austin City Council District 7 runoff election.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 10 Dec. 2024
The week after, the 49ers faced off against the Buffalo Bills, and Samuel was targeted five times, only catching four of those balls for 20 yards.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 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 24 Dec. 2024.
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