match

1 a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize a chess match Synonyms bout, competition, contest, event, game, matchup, meet, sweepstakes (also sweep-stake), tournament, tourneyRelated Words athletics, sport; battle, conflict, scrimmage, skirmish, struggle, tug-of-war, tussle; championship, national(s); final, nightcap, play-off, semifinal; derby, field day, gymkhana, open, outing; biathlon, decathlon, heptathlon, pentathlon, triathlon; marathon, race, ultramarathon; heat, round, run, set; rally, volley; round-robin, rubber, runoff, sudden death; dead heat, photo finish, seesaw; classic

2 a union representing a special kind of social and legal partnership between two people from all appearances those two have got a good match there Synonyms conjugality, connubiality, marriage, matrimony, wedlockRelated Words monogamy; bigamy, polyandry, polygamy, polygyny; intermarriage, miscegenation, mixed marriage, remarriage; cohabitation, common-law marriage; civil union, domestic partnership; attachment, commitment, relationship; betrothal, engagement, espousal, hand, pledge, promise, proposal, trothNear Antonyms annulment, divorce, separation

3 either of a pair matched in one or more qualities I can't find the match to this sock Synonyms companion, fellow, half, mate, twinRelated Words coordinate; coequal, counterpart, equal, equivalent, like, parallel, peer, rival; carbon copy, double, duplicate, facsimile, identical twin, likeness, mirror image, replica, ringer; analogue (or analog), similarityNear Antonyms antipode, antithesis, contrary, converse, opposite, reverse

4 one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value for a wife he wants a woman who will be his match in every aspect of their lives Synonyms coequal, compeer, coordinate, counterpart, equivalent, fellow, like, equal, parallel, peer, rivalRelated Words analogue (or analog); double, half, mate, twin; associate, colleague, companion, copartner, partner; competitor

5 something or someone that strongly resembles another Erin is so nearly my exact match you'd think she must be my twin and not just my cousin Synonyms alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger (or doppelganger), double, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, likeness, look-alike, image, mirror image, picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twinRelated Words Chinese copy; effigy, portrait, portrayal; companion, fellow, mate; equal, equivalent; analogue (or analog), parallelNear Antonyms antithesis, converse, opposite, reverse

6 an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the discussion soon degenerated into a pointless shouting match Synonyms ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, contest, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes (also sweep-stake), tug-of-war, war, warfareRelated Words horse race, nail-biter; showdown; clash, collision, discord, friction; argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension (also dissention), quarrel, row, wrangleNear Antonyms concord, harmony, peace

1 to be the exact counterpart of does this handbag's shade of blue match my navy blue pants? the rare blood type that exactly matched that of the transplant recipient Synonyms correspond (to), equal, parallel Related Words blend (with), conform (to), coordinate (with), go (with), harmonize (with); complement, supplement; counterbalance, counterpoise; echo, image, mirror, repeat; add up (to), amount (to), approach, come (to), near; measure (up), partake (of), rival, suggest

2 to give in marriage they were happy to match their daughter to a man from a good family Synonyms espouse, marry, wedRelated Words commit, engage; affiance, betroth, pledge, promise

3 to produce something equal to (as in quality or value) no one has ever been able to match that novel for its portrayal of the horrors of war Synonyms equal, meet, tieRelated Words beat, better, eclipse, excel, outdistance, outdo, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend; amount (to), approach, touch; approximate, keep up, measure up (to), parallel, rival, stack up (against or with)