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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.

On Sunday, exactly 46 years since the most stunning upset in the history of Olympic hockey, the U.S. and Canada will square off in a heavyweight showdown for global hockey supremacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

When Indiana and Miami square off with the national championship on the line next Monday, it will mark a season finale unlike any the sport has witnessed in recent memory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

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 • Dec. 12, 2025

Former world champion Isaac Cruz will now square off against Omar Salcido Gamez in a 12-round super lightweight bout after Angel Fierro withdrew from the event on Friday due to health concerns.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2025

She’d seen him square off against Cain before; he’d never won, but he always managed to hold out longer than she would have thought possible.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

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.