pairing
Americannoun
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pairings
plural
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a coupling.
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Cell Biology. the lining up of the two homologous chromosomes or chromatids of each chromosome pair in meiosis or mitosis.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pairing
Explanation
A pairing is a match between two things or people, like the perfect pairing of chocolate and peanut butter. Use this noun for two folks who work together as a perfect unit, like the pairing of your baseball team's pitcher and catcher, or two things that seem made for each other, like the classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup. You can also describe the act of sorting people into pairs this way: "Our family's secret Santa pairing meant that I had to buy a gift for my great uncle again."
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:
But she also noted that Generation Z was pairing them with running shorts and otherwise finding new ways to wear them.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Those two have been a great pairing, and I think they’re key to our defensive staff right now,” Riley said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
In Chandler and Pierre, “Lanterns” has an extraordinary pairing that sustains enough frustration, humor, passion and regret to keep us rapt through the episodes provided for review.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Still, Hollywood and Wall Street make for a natural pairing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
And in the day’s final pairing, Goghor the Giant would go against Belaquo Bonebreaker.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Another tactic Bielsa leans on is the use of wide pairings or trios to break teams down.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
While the superfight is unusual and in questionable taste to many, it’s revealing about celebrity-politician pairings in 21st-century America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
The brilliance of these pairings recurs throughout the show, which is more than a curatorial coup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
After the pair were connected by podcaster Shawn Ryan, Biden sat down for a two-hour interview at Owens’ Nashville home studio in what is one of the year’s most surprising pairings.
From Salon ● May 23, 2026
“Simple,” said Bobby in response, “just do the pairings over again...this time publicly.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
