offseason

noun

off·​sea·​son ˈȯf-ˌsē-zᵊn How to pronounce offseason (audio)
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
After undergoing arthroscopic surgery in the off-season, Hardaway says he's ready to put last year's disappointment behind him. 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
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.
As for the bullpen, the team will be without Ronny Henriquez, one of their top high-leverage arms in 2025, but beefed up the group by signing closer Pete Fairbanks and lefty John King this offseason. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 Coming off an offseason in which the Dodgers spent over $300 million on just two free agents, the two-time defending champions’ luxurious spending has undoubtedly been a topic of conversation and consternation around Major League Baseball. Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026 Since the start of the offseason back in October, the Mets have insisted the clubhouse wasn’t toxic last season, yet the narrative has followed the team into spring training. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026 This offseason, Erceg honed in on his preparation. Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026 Along with Wick, San Francisco added left-hander Sam Hentges and right-hander Jason Foley in the offseason, both of whom dealt with injuries last season. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026 Crow-Armstrong focused on his batting stance extensively over the offseason to correct that inconsistency. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 Dollander made several mechanical tweaks during the offseason, hoping to make his sizzling fastball more effective and his slider more dependable in the zone. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026 Breslow acknowledged that aspect of the offseason didn’t work out as planned. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of offseason was in 1847

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Offseason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offseason. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

off-season

noun
ˈȯf-ˌsēz-ᵊn
: a time when some activity is suspended or reduced
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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