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
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
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
The Panthers failed to score on their first three power plays on Monday, but Carter Verhaeghe got a wide-open shot from the face-off circle on Skinner’s right and scored.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2025
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 14 June 2025
The series continues on Saturday with New York’s Tylor Megill set to face off against Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen.
—Fiifi Frimpong, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
With goalie Sergei Bobrovsky pulled, Matthew Tkachuk had iced the puck with 1:01 left, putting Bobrovsky back in the net for at least the face-off.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
The Panthers failed to score on their first three power plays on Monday, but Carter Verhaeghe got a wide-open shot from the face-off circle on Skinner’s right and scored.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2025
Verb
However, a player from each team had faced off, the linesman dropped the puck, it then got deflected by Abbotsford and skittered back into the goal.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 14 June 2025
The series continues on Saturday with New York’s Tylor Megill set to face off against Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen.
—Fiifi Frimpong, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for face-off
Cite this Entry
“Face-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face-off. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share