Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for play-off. Search instead for slab-off.
Synonyms

play-off

American  
[pley-awf, -of] / ˈpleɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

  1. (in competitive sports) the playing of an extra game, rounds, innings, etc., in order to settle a tie.

  2. a series of games or matches, as between the leading teams of two leagues, in order to decide a championship.

    In America the most exciting play-off is the World Series.
play off British  

verb

  1. to deal with or manipulate as if in playing a game

    to play one person off against another

  2. (intr) to take part in a play-off

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. sport an extra contest to decide the winner when two or more competitors are tied

  2. a contest or series of games to determine a championship, as between the winners of two competitions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
play off Idioms  

  1. See under play both ends against the middle .

  2. Break a tie by playing an additional game or period, as in Each team had won three games so they had to play off the tie to decide the championship .

Etymology

Origin of play-off

First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase play off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After beating Zrinjski Mostar over two legs in their Conference League play-off, they have since beaten AEK Larnaca and now Fiorentina to reach the last four.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

If Arsenal and City are equal on all of the above, then the title will be decided by the winner of a play-off match.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Should they narrowly miss out on the play-off places, this season would still be deemed a huge success.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

"I feel like with a sudden-death loss, you kind of know you got to the house," said Rose, who also lost an Augusta play-off to Sergio Garcia in 2017.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

I was planning to make some microwave popcorn and watch a National League play-off game on TV.

From "Doing Time Online" by Jan Siebold

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.