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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.


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]


Etymology

Origin of mix-and-match

First recorded in 1940–45


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.

See Examples For:

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

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 can guarantee you he will be prioritising Premier League survival ahead of FA Cup progress, so we will probably see another mix-and-match selection from him here too.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 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

Guests are encouraged to mix and match the vinaigrettes into a mess of hues, a nod to abstractionist Jackson Pollock.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

"I'm not a big soda person, but when they started to let you mix and match the drinks, I got involved with that," he told Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast recently.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 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

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