match-up
Americannoun
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a pairing or combining; linkage.
a match-up of federal funds with state aid.
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a direct contest or confrontation, as between two athletes or political candidates.
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an investigation of similarities and differences; comparison.
a match-up of property taxes in two counties.
Etymology
Origin of match-up
First recorded in 1960–65; noun use of verb phrase match up
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.
The scoreline in this match-up at T20 World Cups now reads 8-1 in favour of India.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
It is, according to bookmakers, the unlikeliest Super Bowl match-up of modern times.
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
There is no doubt 28-year-old Zverev has more damaging weapons than the Briton, but it remains a match-up that Norrie relishes.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
For Denver, the match-up comes after a bye week, and offers another chance to prove that one of this season's surprise packages can be the real deal at the business end of the campaign.
From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026
Her grandfather, Joe Riley, said it was a "nice intergenerational match-up".
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2025
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.
