face off
verb1
To confront (each other).
- When Bank of Scotland and RBS faced off in that epic battle for NatWest ...2009 February 22, Ruaridh Nicoll, “Behind the demise”, in The Observer:
face-off
nounalso spelled face-offUS /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/
Etymology From face + off, or a deverbal from face off, c. 1889.
1
A confrontation or argument between two people or groups.
- It's unclear which side will win the latest face-off between the President and Congress.
- Huntsman starts out with a vision of Theron that’s specific, unique, and weighted in character, but it trends throughout toward generic fantasy tropes and black-and-white morality, and climaxes in a thoroughly familiar face-off.2012 May 31, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Review: Snow White And The Huntsman”, in A.V. Club, archived from the original on 30 Mar 2013:
2
Hobbies, Ice hockey, Lifestyle, Skating, Sports The start of play, when two players try to get control of the puck dropped by the referee.
- Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament.2025 February 20, Homero De la Fuente, “Canada beats Team USA in overtime thriller to win hockey’s first-ever 4 Nations Face-off championship”, in CNN:
3
The start of play, when two players attempt to get possession of a ball placed on the ground between them by the referee.
- Derived terms
- face-off circle