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

Coach Mitch Kirsch says multiple tight end sets should create mismatches this season. — Steven Johnson. Produce With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026

This creates a mismatch between legacy workplace models and the needs of workers now pivoting toward higher-value work that depends on concentration, critical colleague interactions and more intentional spatial support. — Sarah Davis, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Verb

The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Too many items or mismatched pieces on open shelves and racks can make a room look disorganized and messy. — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2026

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
• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch
• hatch

Kids Definition

mismatch

verb

mis·​match

(ˈ)mis-ˈmach

: to match unsuitably or badly

mismatch noun