face off

See also: faceoff and face-off

English

A face off in ice hockey.

Noun

face off (plural face offs)

1. (sports, chiefly ice hockey) The starting point in a match of ice hockey, where two players face each other to snatch the puck.
2. (literal or figurative) A face-to-face confrontation, especially a bitter one.

Verb

face off (third-person singular simple present faces off, present participle facing off, simple past and past participle faced off)

1. (intransitive) To confront (each other).
   • 2009 February 22, Ruaridh Nicoll, “Behind the demise”, in The Observer:

     When Bank of Scotland and RBS faced off in that epic battle for NatWest ...

References

• face off at The Free Dictionary