mismatch

1 of 2

noun

mis·​match ˈmis-ˌmach 

plural mismatches

: a faulty or unsuitable match

New England plays St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI this evening, and on the face of it, this game is a mismatch, a blowout waiting to happen.

—William C. Rhoden

She is blood type O, and the donor heart and lungs she received in the first operation were blood type A. That mismatch triggered rejection by her immune system.

—Dan Vergano

mismatch

2 of 2

verb

mis·​match ˌmis-ˈmach 

mismatched; mismatching

transitive verb

: to match (two people or things) wrongly or unsuitably

Let's say that you are afraid of boring your audience. One cause is mismatching the audience's need and the level of detail you provide.

—Liz Reyer

Examples of mismatch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to the board, there is currently a mismatch between proficiency thresholds in the different sections of exams — English language arts, science and math. —Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025

If there’s a mismatch between internal reality and external messaging, cracks begin to show—and in the age of platforms like Glassdoor, internal inauthenticity is a reputational risk. —Michael Shribman, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Verb

This might happen when kids don’t have their pulse on what is currently fashionable or when their clothes don’t look new or are mismatched in some way. —​wendy Wisner, Parents, 29 July 2025

The sleeves are mismatched in length, the shoulders are off-kilter, the collar looks like a clown’s. —Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 27 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mismatch

• attach
• bycatch
• despatch
• detach
• dispatch
• nuthatch
• potlatch
• toothache
• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch

Kids Definition

mismatch

verb

mis·​match

(ˈ)mis-ˈmach

: to match unsuitably or badly

mismatch noun