play-off
noun
(in competitive sports) the playing of an extra game, rounds, innings, etc., in order to settle a tie.
Showing results for play-off.
Search instead for
playoff.
play-off
American
[play-awf, -of]
/ ˈpleɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
-
(in competitive sports) the playing of an extra game, rounds, innings, etc., in order to settle a tie.
-
a series of games or matches, as between the leading teams of two leagues, in order to decide a championship.
In America the most exciting play-off is the World Series.
play off
British
verb
-
to deal with or manipulate as if in playing a game
to play one person off against another
-
(intr) to take part in a play-off
noun
-
sport an extra contest to decide the winner when two or more competitors are tied
-
a contest or series of games to determine a championship, as between the winners of two competitions
play off
Idioms
-
See under play both ends against the middle .
-
Break a tie by playing an additional game or period, as in Each team had won three games so they had to play off the tie to decide the championship .
Etymology
Origin of play-off
First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase play off
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They most recently beat Fiji and Argentina and now face Australia, Japan, New Zealand and a Nations Championship play-off on successive weekends through November.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Last week she scored the third goal as England beat Greece 3-1 in their 2027 World Cup play-off semi-final first leg.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Elsewhere, having performed superbly in qualifying, the Republic of Ireland have a tough play-off route with Belgium potentially waiting in round two.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs in May after admitting spying on training sessions involving Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
I was planning to make some microwave popcorn and watch a National League play-off game on TV.
From "Doing Time Online" by Jan Siebold
“It’s a great vibe, where we’re able to play off each other, not just on the football field but also in life,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
It doesn’t help that the vice presidents constantly runs down his wife in speeches, comments he tries to play off as jokes, but which are too hard-edged to sell as jovial.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Drugmaker Novo Nordisk is running ads that play off Apple’s humorous early-aughts “Get a Mac” campaign to try to distinguish Ozempic from other GLP-1 drugs taken for Type 2 diabetes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Previously, the winners of the Women's National League North and South had to play off for a place in the second division; now both champions go up.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025
I tried to play off the texting as smooth as possible.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
