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Synonyms

match-up

American  
[mach-uhp] / ˈmætʃˌʌp /
Or matchup

noun

  1. a pairing or combining; linkage.

    a match-up of federal funds with state aid.

  2. a direct contest or confrontation, as between two athletes or political candidates.

  3. 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.

Inoue said after the fight that his match-up with Nakatani was yet to be confirmed but that he would "love to make a fight happen that would get everyone in Japan excited".

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

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

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.