Standard Lemma guide

face-off

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A confrontation or argument between two people or groups.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It's unclear which side will win the latest face-off between the President and Congress.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The start of play, when two players try to get control of the puck dropped by the referee.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, ice-hockey, lifestyle, skating, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The start of play, when two players attempt to get possession of a ball placed on the ground between them by the referee.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: field lacrosse

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(ice hockey) the method of starting play; a referee drops the puck between two opposing players

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beginning, start, commencement

5

noun

Meaning 5

a hostile disagreement face-to-face

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: confrontation, encounter, showdown

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disagreement

History

Etymology

From face + off, or a deverbal from face off, c. 1889.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: qarşıdurma — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Chinese Mandarin: 對峙 /对峙 (duìzhì) — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Chinese Mandarin: 對質 /对质 (duìzhì) — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Japanese: 対決 (taiketsu) — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Russian: конфронта́ция (konfrontácija) — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Russian: противостоя́ние (protivostojánije) — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Russian: противобо́рство (protivobórstvo) — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Spanish: contrapunto — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Spanish: careo — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Spanish: encaramiento — confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • Bulgarian: була (bula) — start of play in ice hockey etc.
  • Czech: buly — start of play in ice hockey etc.
  • Czech: rozhoz — start of play in ice hockey etc.
  • Finnish: aloitus — start of play in ice hockey etc.
  • Russian: вбрасывание (vbrasyvanije) — start of play in ice hockey etc.
  • Swedish: tekning — start of play in ice hockey etc.