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
Verb
eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
Recent Examples on the Web
Carl Hulse, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Through the month of March, states compete with one another over who can recruit the most volunteer observers in a face-off called Precipitation Absurdity.
—Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2024
Many a would-be dominator of the racetrack or the boulevard face-off has been spanked silly by a Corvette, red or otherwise.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
The face-off between Texas and the federal government over whether the state can enforce its own immigration policy reflects a broader and recurring feature of American politics: a number of hot-button issues have become proxy battles over who gets to decide.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cartwright is up for re-election again this year, when Pennsylvania will take center stage as a top battleground state as Trump and President Biden tee up another face-off for the White House.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
But when the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star took the court for the basketball face-off, something went wrong.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Both candidates can be confident of a face-off in November.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024
Between the Super Tuesday results and the president’s State of the Union address, a Joe Biden–Donald Trump face-off—the first presidential rematch since the 1950s—has become all but certain.
—The Editors, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The two winning teams will face off in the National Championship match on April 7.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
The rush will continue for Chan and her husband-partner Robert Adamson, who will face off against Lula Drake Wine Parlour of Columbia, SC; San Francisco’s the Morris; Tail Up Goat in Washington, D.C.; and Waxlight Bar à Vin of Buffalo, NY for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category.
—Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 3 Apr. 2024
In China, where Tesla is facing off against strong local rivals like BYD and newcomers like Xiaomi, Tesla has started telling workers to lower Model Y and Model 3 production.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
As the Aztecs prepare to face off against overall No. 1 UConn, Butler looks forward to the challenge.
—Jordan Ruttert, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The Dodgers and Padres faced off in Seoul, South Korea on March 20 and 21.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Still, that’s no reason to dismiss the likes of No. 1 317 Burger (defeated Baby’s last round) or the iconic No. 1 Workingman’s Friend (defeated Twenty Tap), which face off in the Frynal Four.
—The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Episode two, for instance, sees the presidential campaign face off against an irate police union – an uncommon schism in center-right coalitions.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
The men spent months quietly positioning themselves for the eventual face-off.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Through the month of March, states compete with one another over who can recruit the most volunteer observers in a face-off called Precipitation Absurdity.
—Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2024
Many a would-be dominator of the racetrack or the boulevard face-off has been spanked silly by a Corvette, red or otherwise.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
The face-off between Texas and the federal government over whether the state can enforce its own immigration policy reflects a broader and recurring feature of American politics: a number of hot-button issues have become proxy battles over who gets to decide.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Cartwright is up for re-election again this year, when Pennsylvania will take center stage as a top battleground state as Trump and President Biden tee up another face-off for the White House.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
But when the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star took the court for the basketball face-off, something went wrong.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Both candidates can be confident of a face-off in November.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024
Between the Super Tuesday results and the president’s State of the Union address, a Joe Biden–Donald Trump face-off—the first presidential rematch since the 1950s—has become all but certain.
—The Editors, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
On the men’s side, Purdue and UConn will face off in the championship game later today.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The two winning teams will face off in the National Championship match on April 7.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
The rush will continue for Chan and her husband-partner Robert Adamson, who will face off against Lula Drake Wine Parlour of Columbia, SC; San Francisco’s the Morris; Tail Up Goat in Washington, D.C.; and Waxlight Bar à Vin of Buffalo, NY for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category.
—Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 3 Apr. 2024
In China, where Tesla is facing off against strong local rivals like BYD and newcomers like Xiaomi, Tesla has started telling workers to lower Model Y and Model 3 production.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
As the Aztecs prepare to face off against overall No. 1 UConn, Butler looks forward to the challenge.
—Jordan Ruttert, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The Dodgers and Padres faced off in Seoul, South Korea on March 20 and 21.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Still, that’s no reason to dismiss the likes of No. 1 317 Burger (defeated Baby’s last round) or the iconic No. 1 Workingman’s Friend (defeated Twenty Tap), which face off in the Frynal Four.
—The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Episode two, for instance, sees the presidential campaign face off against an irate police union – an uncommon schism in center-right coalitions.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
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 18 Apr. 2024.
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