How to Use playoff in a Sentence

playoff

1 of 2 noun

• In 2019, the Aces went to the playoffs and made the semifinals.
  — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2023
• The lottery teams are the 14 clubs that failed to make the playoffs.
  — Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 15 May 2023
• But Jackson is 2–4 in the playoffs, and now 1–5 against the Chiefs.
  — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2024
• The top three teams in a five-team league like the Zeta will go to the playoffs.
  — Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 2 Aug. 2024
• The coach recalled a goal-line stand at the end of a playoff game.
  — Thomas Lake, CNN, 12 July 2024
• The playoff berth this season was the team’s first under the coach.
  — Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024
• The Ducks never got to the gate, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season.
  — Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
• That catch propelled the Browns to a 23-17 win in OT, and kept their playoff hopes alive.
  — Irie Harris, cleveland, 25 Jan. 2023
• The Bills dropped to 13-2 when hosting an NFL playoff game.
  — John Wawrow, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2023
• The Kings are back in the lottery after failing to reach the playoffs.
  — Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 11 May 2024
• The Mavs have clinched a post in the playoffs and have five games left to improve their seeding.
  — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
• Not making the playoffs for three years has fans antsy.
  — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 8 July 2024
• To reach the playoffs, a team needs to show an ability to win close games late.
  — Evan Grant, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
• Again, these are big swings, the kind of flails that Dodgers batters take when a playoff game is on the line.
  — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2022
• Though neither team made it to the final dance, their triumphs over the Reign were the best part of the playoffs.
  — Ash Parrish, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2023
• The team won its last three games to qualify for the playoffs, then beat Hawaii on Nov. 27 to reach the World Bowl.
  — Creg Stephenson | [e-mail], al, 26 July 2023
• But, in the playoff's first year with a dozen teams, the Crimson Tide are on the outside looking in.
  — Ryan Morik, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024
• That team is too good and too healthy, primed for a playoff run, to give them anything easy.
  — Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 11 Apr. 2023
• The defeat was a blow to the Dream’s hopes of securing the league’s eighth and final playoff berth.
  — Sam Joseph, CNN, 9 Sep. 2024
• The Hornets finished 9-2 that season with an overtime loss to Prattville in the first round of the playoffs.
  — Ben Thomas | [e-mail], al, 19 Sep. 2023
• The Jets have the longest postseason drought in the league, missing the playoffs in the past 13 seasons.
  — Andy Scholes, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024
• The Phillies went on to win the game against the New York Mets 5-2, bringing the team one step closer to clinching a wild card berth in the playoffs.
  — Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023
• The Indians have been sweeping through the playoffs and are on a nine game win streak.
  — Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2024
• This is the final season the playoff includes four teams.
  — Antonio Planas, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2023
• Entering the first race of the playoffs, Logano had only four top fives and eight top 10s.
  — Joseph Wolkin, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
• At 2-5, this team is now in a real pickle in terms of the playoff picture.
  — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
• The Hurricanes have made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons and are again a contender to win the Stanley Cup.
  — Stephen Whyno, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2023
• But over the last eight seasons, Donovan has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs with the Thunder or the Chicago Bulls.
  — Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
• The Nets lost just two playoff games en route to the franchise’s first ABA championship in 1974.
  — David Aldridge, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
• Toward the end of 2024 and during the Yankees’ playoff run, Holmes utilized a four-seam fastball against left-handed batters.
  — Will Sammon, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024

Advertisement

play off

2 of 2 verb

• What’s your favorite thing about the other to play off of?
  — Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
• Smith got up and rallied the rest of his teammates to the line of scrimmage to get the next play off.
  — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 29 Jan. 2023
• NC State got the ball back with four seconds left but couldn't get a play off.
  — Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2023
• The two play off of each other in a way that reminds you of young love and old movies.
  — Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 22 June 2023
• The spot plays off of Michael Cera’s name to promote their product.
  — Derek Rucker, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
• That allowed Kim to play off the ball and show off his perimeter game.
  — Patrick Z. McGavin, chicagotribune.com, 4 Mar. 2021
• Many in baseball have played off the practice as being just part of the game.
  — Ken Belson, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023
• Being able to play off pick-and-roll is one of my biggest strengths.
  — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024
• The movie plays off a perfect nightmare for many who have sailed, said Ruz.
  — John Hopewell, Variety, 20 Dec. 2023
• Good news is Schroder can play off the ball with the starters and take over as the playmaker for stretches with the bench.
  — Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2020
• Is my voice going to hold up, my mind remain sharp enough to play off the crowd?
  — Charles E. Kraus, New York Daily News, 1 July 2024
• The teams were tied 42-42 when Uphoff took a rebound and raced the length of the court to complete a three-point play off a drive.
  — Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 15 June 2024
• The way the light banana slices play off the deep, toasty flavor of the sticky toffee drizzled on top?
  — Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 26 Nov. 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
• The two play off each other well and are asked to carry the load for New York since the options off the bench aren’t up to the same level.
  — Kyle Foley, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Nov. 2024
• The hoax appears to play off of fears of software used to spy on victims’ phones, known as spyware.
  — Ben Goggin, NBC News, 9 Oct. 2023
• Chicken sausages pair best with a cold Sauvignon Blanc, where the sweet and salty notes play off each other.
  — Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2023
• The golden liqueur plays off the spirit like sun off snow, bringing some herbal warmth through the bracing chill.
  — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2024
• To play off the skirt, Corrin wore a pair of sheer black gloves, and then grounded the whole thing with hefty, below-the-knee platform boots.
  — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023
• The chorus plays off a familiar trope, with a Kesha, twist, of course.
  — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2023
• The hexagon gazebo plays off elements in the landscape.
  — Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2024
• Although plenty of coaches call plays off a sheet, Miles knows Minter is more.
  — Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
• Pittman likes to play off the edge of being the underdog, like the Razorbacks are today.
  — Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2022
• Dominique Badji let the ball run and Brandon Vazquez came in behind him to finish the play off.
  — The Enquirer, 6 June 2023
• The Yankees starter rebounded with no further damage and made a nice play off the mound to end the inning.
  — Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024
• Coach Jim Carnes was impressed with his team’s ability to play off Scott.
  — Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2023
• Just going out there and competing and knowing how to play off our guys.
  — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2022
• Watching Spader and Keach play off of each other was a delight.
  — Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2023
• Peek in and then trying to play off whenever the running back declares his cut.
  — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2024
• Bunkers have been moved to bring them into play off the tee, including two positioned in the middle of the fifth and 15th fairways.
  — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2024

Last Updated: 4 Jan 2025