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

Activist investor Boaz Weinstein thinks there are opportunities because of valuation mismatches — and has revealed two of his plays in this space. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025

The Week 13 slate features a number of mismatches, including Charlotte-Georgia and Eastern Illinois-Alabama. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Verb

The film goes on to chart how a first women’s soccer team came into existence in the early ‘70s, even while Franco was still alive, playing with mismatching shirts and enduring widespread mockery. —John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025

Another idea is to incorporate an antique sideboard or china cabinet with a vintage table and mismatched chairs rather than resigning yourself to cookie cutter dining set. —Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 12 Nov. 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