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bake off

B2 informal inseparable intransitive

A competition in which participants bake and judges decide a winner; also used figuratively for competitive product or vendor comparisons.

In plain English

A baking competition where people show how well they can bake, or any competition where different options are tested against each other.

What does "bake off" mean?

2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.

1 B1 informal

A baking competition in which participants are judged on the quality of what they bake.

"She entered the village bake off and won first prize for her lemon drizzle cake."

I'd like to see the contestants tackle a showstopper challenge.

— The Great British Bake Off, Channel 4 (general programme dialogue)
inseparable
2 B2 idiomatic informal

(Business/tech) A competitive evaluation in which multiple vendors or products are tested head-to-head before a decision is made.

"The IT team ran a bake off between three cloud providers before choosing one."

inseparable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To bake something until it falls or is removed — but as a compound noun/verb, it means a competitive baking event.

Actually means

A baking competition where people show how well they can bake, or any competition where different options are tested against each other.

Usage tip

Popularized globally by the British TV show 'The Great British Bake Off.' In business and tech, a 'bake off' refers to competing vendors or products being tested side by side before a purchase decision. Predominantly British origin but widely understood.

Words that pair with "bake off"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

competition vendor product winner judges finalist

How to conjugate "bake off"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
bake off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bakes off
he/she/it
Past simple
baked off
yesterday
Past participle
baked off
have + pp
-ing form
baking off
continuous

Hear "bake off" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "bake off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "bake off"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

competition contest cook-off face-off showdown trial

Keep exploring

Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.