face-off
1 of 2noun
ˈfās-ˌȯf 
1
: a method of beginning play (as in hockey or lacrosse) in which two opponents face each other and attempt to gain control of a puck or ball dropped or placed between them
2
: confrontation
face off
2 of 2verb
faced off; facing off; faces off
intransitive verb
: to be in or come into opposition or competition
politicians facing off against each other in a televised debate
Synonyms
Noun
- ball game
- battle
- combat
- competition
- conflict
- confrontation
- contention
- contest
- dogfight
- duel
- grapple
- match
- rivalry
- strife
- struggle
- sweepstakes
- sweep-stake
- tug-of-war
- war
- warfare
Verb
- battle
- compete
- contend
- fight
- race
- rival
- vie
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb eager to face off with her longtime tennis rival
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1948, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
face-off
noun
ˈfās-ˌȯf
1
: a method of beginning play (as in hockey or lacrosse) in which the puck or ball is dropped between two opposing players
2
: a clashing of forces or ideas
a face-off between enemies
face-offs
noun
as in battles
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the annual fall face-off between these traditional rivals is a big event for both football-mad colleges Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- battles
- rivalries
- duels
- confrontations
- competitions
- contests
- struggles
- wars
- conflicts
- matches
- contentions
- dogfights
- showdowns
- warfares
- clashes
- sweepstakes
- strifes
- ball games
- combats
- debates
- tugs-of-war
- sweep-stake
- grapples
- disputes
- collisions
- nail-biters
- disputations
- quarrels
- controversies
- arguments
- disagreements
- horse races
- frictions
- discords
- wrangles
- dissentions
- dissensions
- rows
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- harmonies
- concords
- peaces