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Showing results for square off. Search instead for Squareoff.
Synonyms

square off

British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to assume a posture of offence or defence, as in boxing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
square off Idioms  

  1. Take a fighting stance, prepare to fight, as in As they squared off, the teacher came out and stopped them, or The ambassador said the two countries were squaring off. [First half of 1800s]

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.

The public is about to square off with the bond market in Britain, and the country’s politicians are struggling to play both sides.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The two will square off in the Peach State’s Senate runoff on June 16.

From Slate • May 28, 2026

He’s on firmer footing exploring his two leads as they square off inside this smoldering crucible.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

This is meant to square off against higher-end Chromebooks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Teams would square off when trials were under way and he’d watch to see how well various kids played.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Definitions 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.

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