playoff

1 of 2

noun

play·​off ˈplā-ˌȯf How to pronounce playoff (audio)
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 See all Example Sentences for playoff 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'playoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of playoff was in 1736

Dictionary Entries Near playoff

Cite this Entry

“Playoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playoff. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on playoff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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