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• mix-and-match
  mix-and-match

  adjective

  made up of complementary elements taken from different sets or sources.
• mix and match
  mix and match

  Combine different items in a number of ways. For example, The store displayed skirts, blouses, and slacks in colors that one could mix and match. [Mid-1900s]

mix-and-match

American  

[miks-uhn-mach] / ˈmɪks ənˈmætʃ /

adjective

1. made up of complementary elements taken from different sets or sources.

   a mix-and-match approach to interior decoration.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to combine in a harmonious or interesting way, as articles of clothing in an ensemble.

mix and match Idioms  

1. Combine different items in a number of ways. For example, The store displayed skirts, blouses, and slacks in colors that one could mix and match. [Mid-1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of mix-and-match

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mix-and-match mix and match

Panera Bread, which traditionally hasn’t offered a value menu, announced a $4.99 mix-and-match promotion last month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

A few years ago I realized the lunch format that leaves me most satisfied — without putting me to sleep — is a little soup-and-salad mix-and-match situation.

From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2026

If a mix-and-match England team lost, it would also undermine the new Nations Championship, with each match contributing to a North v South rankings play-off at Twickenham.

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

Harbaugh could also be getting both of his running backs to help mix-and-match the operation alongside Kimani Vidal, who inserted himself into the team’s running attack after rookie Omarion Hampton sustained an ankle fracture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2025

“I played a mix-and-match game like this once in a magazine,” said Miguel.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

By uncovering this natural "mix and match" system and reproducing its underlying principles in the laboratory, the researchers have established a new strategy for designing future cancer therapies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

Describing her style as “Moroccan and rustic with a bit of modern elegance,” she told People, “I love to mix and match various styles to form one cohesive look in my home.”

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

It’s 40-plus flavors and you can mix and match them and build your own custom creations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

It means England can mix and match according to the opposition.

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026

If two beads are on the same string, then they are always tied together, no matter how one attempts to mix and match strings.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee