Definitions
01championship series
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports American English
n. a series of games played at the end of a sports season to find the overall winner.
n. a post-season series of games played to determine a league champion or to break a tie in standings.
“The team needs to win their next two games to qualify for the playoffs.”
“After a dominant regular season, the franchise faced unexpected pressure during the first round of the playoffs against a lower-seeded opponent.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02promotion match
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports British English
n. a game or series of games played to decide which team moves up to a higher league.
n. a match or series of matches played between teams at the end of a season to determine promotion to a higher division.
“They won the playoff at Wembley and will play in the top league next year.”
“The club secured their promotion through a dramatic playoff final, ending a decade-long absence from the top flight of English football.”
Synonyms
03musical transition
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Theater Technical
n. a short piece of music played between scenes in a musical.
n. a brief musical underscore played during a scene transition, typically reprising a previous theme.
“The orchestra played a quick playoff as the actors changed the scenery.”
“The composer utilized a brassy playoff to maintain the high energy of the opening number while the stagehands executed a complex set change.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The team did not make the NFL playoffs last year for the first time in 10 seasons.” “Meanwhile, goalkeeper Dean Henderson became the first Palace player to feature for England in a World Cup finals match in the third place playoff against France.” Etymology
Deverbal from play off; by surface analysis, play + -off.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/playoff
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0