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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of matches
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The company has been aggressively offering deposit matches to lure clients from Fidelity and Schwab, and assets under management have grown with its TradePMR acquisition.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
Her team advanced through the opening matches during the first week of the tournament, giving her a chance to compete for the coveted $1 million prize.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The Ellison family bought Paramount from its previous controlling shareholders, the Redstones, in August and more cost cutting has been anticipated, even as new management has spent millions to acquire rights to show UFC matches as well as the digital opinion site The Free Press.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The Ponies have 14 shutouts, allowing just eight goals in 20 matches.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
The Tigers took down Bishop Feehan, Brookline, Natick, Needham (twice), Wellesley (twice) and Winchester, falling only in away matches against Brookline and Natick.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
This mode will have 100-player matches where classic battle royale gameplay gets mixed into the Battlefield 6 formula.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Sheamus will battle Shinsuke Nakamura in one of the Raw matches, while Damian Priest takes on Rusev in the other.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The company has been aggressively offering deposit matches to lure clients from Fidelity and Schwab, and assets under management have grown with its TradePMR acquisition.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
Her team advanced through the opening matches during the first week of the tournament, giving her a chance to compete for the coveted $1 million prize.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The Ellison family bought Paramount from its previous controlling shareholders, the Redstones, in August and more cost cutting has been anticipated, even as new management has spent millions to acquire rights to show UFC matches as well as the digital opinion site The Free Press.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The Ponies have 14 shutouts, allowing just eight goals in 20 matches.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
The Tigers took down Bishop Feehan, Brookline, Natick, Needham (twice), Wellesley (twice) and Winchester, falling only in away matches against Brookline and Natick.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
This mode will have 100-player matches where classic battle royale gameplay gets mixed into the Battlefield 6 formula.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
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
-
The $5 billion fund already invested in the Mutua Madrid Open and Miami Open tennis tournaments, in partnership with Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Insulated fishboxes, a 32-inch-wide dive door, and 14 rod holders assure anglers can fish tournaments, but an impeccable foredeck with recliners and double lounges means double duty for socializing.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Arrange bourbon pecan halves on top.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Coaches between the two teams agreed that, instead of a customary five-minute break between the two halves of extra time, both teams would switch halves and resume play almost immediately.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Today's reality is that large hybrid models get just a few more miles per gallon than gas equivalents (in most cases).—
Charles Singh,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Nov. 2025
-
By 1974, though, many women had already discarded those notions as instruments of domination, psychic equivalents of the whalebone corset.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 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 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share