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

This persistent mismatch has fueled a serious debate, leaving us wondering if our understanding of dark matter, or perhaps galaxy formation itself, is fundamentally off. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Bridges has happily accepted the schematic change, which consists of him exploiting mismatches, rebounding, and recognizing when to step up versus defer to teammates. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2026

Verb

Other dec-aura crimes include mismatched light temperatures. —Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026

Switching mismatched pots for containers in similar colors or materials instantly upgrades the look of a space without changing a single plant. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 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
• toothache
• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch

Kids Definition

mismatch

verb

mis·​match

(ˈ)mis-ˈmach

: to match unsuitably or badly

mismatch noun