face off
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
phr.v.to prepare for a competition, argument, or fight against another person or group.
phr.v.to take up a position of confrontation or competition against an opponent. The verb is intransitive and often followed by 'against'.
Simple“The two presidential candidates will face off in a live debate tonight.”
In context“The rival tech giants are expected to face off in court next month over a series of disputed patent claims regarding mobile hardware.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a competition or argument between two people; in sports like hockey, it is how the game starts.
n.a direct confrontation between opposing parties; in ice hockey and lacrosse, the method of starting play by dropping the puck or ball between two players.
Simple“The tense face-off between the protesters and the police lasted for several hours.”
In context“The referee signaled for a face-off in the neutral zone after the puck was frozen against the boards by the defending team.”
UsageOften spelled with a hyphen (face-off) when used as a noun.
Synonyms
the term originates from ice hockey, where the referee drops the puck between two players to start play; this physical image helps students visualize the direct confrontation.