face-off
Americannoun
-
the act of facing the puck, as at the start of a game or period.
-
an open confrontation.
noun
-
ice hockey the method of starting a game, in which the referee drops the puck, etc between two opposing players
-
a confrontation
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of face-off
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase face off
Explanation
A face-off is an in-person confrontation, like the face-off between rival ice hockey players or a face-off between presidential candidates on a debate stage. You can use the noun face-off whenever two people have a face-to-face showdown. You could even describe the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as a face-off (a deadly one, as it turned out). Rival groups or teams confronting each other is also a face-off, like the big championship face-off at the end of basketball season. This sports context is the way the word was originally used, dating from at least 1886.
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:
The pair shared a face-off that lasted well over a minute.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
Even before the face-off, his Democratic rivals began ramping up their focus on Becerra.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Dubois declined a fist bump in their first face-off in February and the hostility continued when they met again this week, with the verbal exchanges beginning within minutes.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
Not a word was spoken during the final face-off before Wardley again offered a fist bump - this time in jest - as Dubois looked eager to leave the stage.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
The stage was set for the first and most sensational face-off of the Cold War era in the United States.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Game and player data can also be used to create content like fantasy league face-offs that will keep fans coming back even in the off seasons, when there are no big games.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
It's the trivial stuff that is messed up - like ridiculous face-offs or the banter.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025
“Suits LA” ditches the high-rise battles for Tinseltown-style face-offs with a new group of ambitious and stylishly dressed lawyers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2025
The fights are copious, and in another new twist for “Star Wars,” many of them take the form of balletic martial arts face-offs.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2024
There are plenty of slo-mo martial arts face-offs and mind-blowing manipulations of the elements.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
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.
