1
as in tournaments
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
a chess match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in marriages
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in halves
either of a pair matched in one or more qualities
I can't find the match to this sock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in equivalents
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 & Similar Words
5
as in pictures
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the discussion soon degenerated into a pointless shouting match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complements
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 & Similar Words
2
3
as in meets
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 & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of matches
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is playing host to nine World Cup matches between early June and mid-July.
—Josh Roberts, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
England, which is fourth in FIFA’s world rankings, plays group-stage matches in Arlington, Texas; Foxborough, Massachusetts; and East Rutherford, New Jersey.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
The 26-year-old winger is expected to miss the first four matches of LAFC’s MLS regular season as well as the early rounds of the CONCACAF Champions Cup over an approximate eight-week recovery.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
World Cup qualifying matches will be interspersed throughout the year.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The review shift matches similar changes made at Amazon since Jassy took over from founder Jeff Bezos as CEO.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
They have been drawn in a group with West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal and first-time qualifiers Italy and will play their matches in Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) and Kolkata (Eden Gardens).
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The stadium hosts the college football championship game later this month, Formula 1 racing events in May and World Cup matches in July.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
The number of judges who received termination letters matches the tally kept by the immigration judges' union.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
This gray panel matches the collar and Wings logo, and the rest of the upper is rendered in white and off-white.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
Buy yarn or string in a color that matches or compliments the rest of your tablescape.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
At this altitude, orbital speed matches our planet's rotational speed.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
The athlete got engaged to Italian-Danish actor and model Andrea Preti in 2025, and seems to have found someone who matches her poise and ambition.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
But that model, Wallin argues, no longer matches the reality of society’s needs or the shape of the future.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The game play or the drama unfolds in a way that really matches that character’s atmosphere or that character’s aura.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
The county has worked for months with UCSD and Scripps researchers to absorb the protocols created by local researchers, gradually fine-tuning models so that the data that the county’s process creates matches with what has already been collected and published by the research effort.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is playing host to nine World Cup matches between early June and mid-July.
—Josh Roberts, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
England, which is fourth in FIFA’s world rankings, plays group-stage matches in Arlington, Texas; Foxborough, Massachusetts; and East Rutherford, New Jersey.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
The 26-year-old winger is expected to miss the first four matches of LAFC’s MLS regular season as well as the early rounds of the CONCACAF Champions Cup over an approximate eight-week recovery.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
World Cup qualifying matches will be interspersed throughout the year.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The review shift matches similar changes made at Amazon since Jassy took over from founder Jeff Bezos as CEO.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
They have been drawn in a group with West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal and first-time qualifiers Italy and will play their matches in Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) and Kolkata (Eden Gardens).
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The stadium hosts the college football championship game later this month, Formula 1 racing events in May and World Cup matches in July.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Each window has a flower box that matches the tiny house’s wooden exterior and easily mounts just below the base.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
The number of judges who received termination letters matches the tally kept by the immigration judges' union.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
This gray panel matches the collar and Wings logo, and the rest of the upper is rendered in white and off-white.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
Buy yarn or string in a color that matches or compliments the rest of your tablescape.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
At this altitude, orbital speed matches our planet's rotational speed.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
The athlete got engaged to Italian-Danish actor and model Andrea Preti in 2025, and seems to have found someone who matches her poise and ambition.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
But that model, Wallin argues, no longer matches the reality of society’s needs or the shape of the future.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The game play or the drama unfolds in a way that really matches that character’s atmosphere or that character’s aura.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matches
Noun
-
His father, Chris, a longtime broadcaster for Swedish station SVT, has worked 20 of the tournaments.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Before coming to Minnesota this year, the World Juniors title had been won by either Canada or the United States for the previous six tournaments.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Butker, who entered the season as one of the NFL’s top kickers, missed five kicks over his next seven halves of football.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Working in batches if needed, arrange pepper halves in a single layer in air-fryer basket.—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both remain short of the team equivalents in the United States.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Dry cereal, such as Cheerios, Kix, Chex, or store-brand equivalents.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
For the rest of her images, Kardashian modeled the see-through lace dress in various parts of the island paradise, also including some pictures that were just part of the scenery.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Like William Klein’s pictures, Roversi’s incorporate accidents, light flares, blur, even damage.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Few crosstown rivalries can compare to the one Hingham and Notre Dame Academy have developed the past few decades.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The history of contemporary music is littered with hundreds of rivalries both amicable and otherwise.—
Jason Newman,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Their approach to outdoor gear, playful yet technical, inclusive yet elevated, perfectly complements our ethos of performance with purpose.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Dynamic play from Addie Finlaw and Ella Vaught complements him, while midfielder Emma Cormier and Meg Costa anchor a strong defense.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This log cabin, set along the Lake Michigan shoreline, marries the rustic allure of traditional wood paneling with sophisticated furnishings.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Their hybrid advisory model takes the best of tradition and marries it to innovation, ensuring that strategies grow alongside families’ needs.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The new library would replace Truckee’s existing 50-year-old structure, which supporters say no longer meets the needs of a growing population.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Tesla shareholders have approved a conditional pay package for CEO Elon Musk that could unlock up to a trillion dollars in stock if the company meets specific criteria, according to preliminary results from the annual shareholder meeting.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matches. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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