playoff

1 of 2

noun

play·​off ˈplā-ˌȯf 

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

play off

2 of 2

verb

played off; playing off; plays off

transitive verb

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

Noun

Over his six-year career, Edman has played in 633 games, and come to bat 2,578 times (not including the playoffs). —Dan Freedman, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

The father-son duo have been spotted sitting courtside at the Crypto.com Arena on numerous occasions, including during the NBA playoffs in May 2023. —Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024

Verb

As with coffee or tea, the mellow lusciousness of the cream played off the acidity of Coke and Dr Pepper especially, offsetting and enhancing each soda’s darkest, spiciest notes. —Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

She was played off the court by Napheesa Collier over the final 10-plus minutes of Game 1. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

play-off

1 of 2 noun

ˈplā-ˌȯf

1

: a final contest or series of contests to break a tie

2

: a series of contests played after the end of the regular season to determine a championship

—often used in plural

play off

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)plā-ˈȯf

: to break a tie by a play-off