play-off
noun
(in competitive sports) the playing of an extra game, rounds, innings, etc., in order to settle a tie.
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play-off
American
[pley-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
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to deal with or manipulate as if in playing a game
to play one person off against another
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(intr) to take part in a play-off
noun
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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
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See under play both ends against the middle .
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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:
After twice winning comeback player of the year, quarterback Joe Burrow stays fit long enough to bag the award he really wants as the Bengals make a deep play-off run.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Harwood-Bellis apologised for making a binoculars gesture during their play-off semi-final second leg victory over Middlesbrough.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Southampton finished bottom of the table in Harwood-Bellis' first season as a Premier League defender, before they reached the Championship play-off final last season.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
In the Conference League, Crystal Palace had to overcome Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar in the play-off round after finishing 10th in the league phase.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 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 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
So is the post the result of an overly online social media manager trying to play off dumb memes?
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2025
Horace Clarke turned a double play off his heel and Joe Pepitone caught a pop fly over his shoulder.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
