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match play

American

noun

Golf.

play in which the score is reckoned by counting the holes won by each side.

match play British

noun

golf Compare Stableford stroke play
1. scoring according to the number of holes won and lost
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a matchplay tournament

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

match player

noun

Etymology

Origin of match play

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

Rolapp said that the points system would be simplified and that match play could be introduced at either the Tour Championship or for the entire postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

"I've played in a few. I love playing match play."

From BBC • Aug. 26, 2024

Excerpts from a women’s soccer match play on a screen; she says nothing, her slouching body in silent contrast to the athletes’ lean physiques.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2024

The other eight teams, all beaten during quarterfinals and semifinals of match play, competed in two separate tiers to determine their final placing.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2023

The object of match play is to win, but no credit goes to a man who does not win fairly and squarely.

From The Art of Lawn Tennis by Tilden, William (Bill) Tatem

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