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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 stock market is on a run that has bears who see a bubble squaring off against bulls saying earnings growth resulting from artificial intelligence External link will drive shares higher still.

From Barron's

When one’s thoughts wander to Rome, they often include visions of men squaring off into some mythical arena.

From Salon

Still, all that wasn’t enough to woo Notre Dame to square off against Brigham Young University, the other selected school, for this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl.

From MarketWatch

The Buckeyes and the Hoosiers will square off in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game in a matchup of the nation’s only undefeated teams, with both guaranteed spots in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

From The Wall Street Journal

Scouts line up to watch nationally ranked powerhouses square off.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.