offseason
noun
off·sea·son
ˈȯf-ˌsē-zᵊn 
variants
or less commonly off-season
plural offseasons also off-seasons
: a time of suspended or reduced activity
It's cheaper to visit the area during the offseason.
off-season travel
especially
: the time during which an athlete is not training or competing
During the offseason, he put on another eight pounds of muscle and when he got to spring training, his Red Sox uniform was too tight. —
Mel Antonen
Mel Antonen After undergoing arthroscopic surgery in the off-season, Hardaway says he's ready to put last year's disappointment behind him. —Marty Burns
Marty Burns an offseason football trade
off-season training
off-season
adverb
or less commonly offseason
traveling off-season
Examples of offseason in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
De La Cruz signed for $2.3 million this offseason, the recipient of the largest bonus in the Cubs’ international class.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Despite their tepid offseason approach, the Mariners have gotten off to a 57-51 start, 4.5 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and one game ahead of the Texas Rangers for the third and final AL Wild Card berth.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Lance will get the start, who signed a one-year contract with the team in the offseason.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
But the soccer calendar, always eager to cash in on the popularity of players like Haaland, called for a more expansive Club World Cup this offseason.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 31 July 2025
The Padres had planned since early in the offseason to slow-play Darvish’s season to some extent, given his age and injury history.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
Herbig signed with the Commanders earlier this offseason and is credited with 30 career starts.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
This offseason, Diggs remains in recovery after dealing with knee concerns last season.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
Up next: Typically the next step after summer league is to fill out the team’s three-player limit on two-way contracts and round out the offseason roster, with as many as 21 players allowed under contract.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2025
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.
Levi Weaver, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Despite their tepid offseason approach, the Mariners have gotten off to a 57-51 start, 4.5 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and one game ahead of the Texas Rangers for the third and final AL Wild Card berth.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Lance will get the start, who signed a one-year contract with the team in the offseason.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
But the soccer calendar, always eager to cash in on the popularity of players like Haaland, called for a more expansive Club World Cup this offseason.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 31 July 2025
The Padres had planned since early in the offseason to slow-play Darvish’s season to some extent, given his age and injury history.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
Herbig signed with the Commanders earlier this offseason and is credited with 30 career starts.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
This offseason, Diggs remains in recovery after dealing with knee concerns last season.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
Up next: Typically the next step after summer league is to fill out the team’s three-player limit on two-way contracts and round out the offseason roster, with as many as 21 players allowed under contract.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offseason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offseason. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share