as in tournament
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
a boxing matchup that promises to be a sportswriter's dream
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Recent Examples of matchup
Its next two matchups — against Brigham Young and Pepperdine — should be good tests.
—
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Before that, for an appetizer, tune into Peacock for a quality NBA matchup between the red-hot Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Pitching matchups Thursday Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21 ERA in 2025) | The 29-year-old has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards and is entering his walk year.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
The Cubs won 9-5, but lost the season series that year 7-6.
April 10, 1953
When an exhibition Cubs-White Sox matchup was thwarted again by the cold, the game was moved from Wrigley Field to Comiskey Park.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matchup
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Before that, for an appetizer, tune into Peacock for a quality NBA matchup between the red-hot Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Pitching matchups Thursday Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21 ERA in 2025) | The 29-year-old has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards and is entering his walk year.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
The Cubs won 9-5, but lost the season series that year 7-6.
April 10, 1953
When an exhibition Cubs-White Sox matchup was thwarted again by the cold, the game was moved from Wrigley Field to Comiskey Park.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matchup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchup
Noun
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Caught in this scenario is his sport that still needs him, busted parts and all, but would love nothing more than for the focus to be on the great players who are playing its most famous tournament.—
Mac Engel
April 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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This year, practice-round tickets went for $125 and $150, individual tournament rounds cost $160 and four-day tournament badges were $525.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At game’s end, Quenneville cautioned against looking too far ahead.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2026
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Through five games in the Kansas City Current’s 2026 season, three losses raised alarm bells among the National Women’s Soccer League club’s passionate fanbase.—
PJ Green
April 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But neither is an experienced starter so general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley will almost certainly seek training camp competition for each role.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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The drama was announced as having been selected for Cannes’ main competition at the festival’s traditional press conference in Paris on Thursday.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Typical events, like the Super Bowl or large musical acts like Taylor Swift and Beyonce, at either of the venues, have clogged city streets and created a safety issue, Davidson says.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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However, keep in mind that the pools and private event suite (with a huge outdoor patio just a couple floors down) are all on that side, and the noise travels a bit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Wakeland got the final 6 shots of the match off in the last 13 minutes of the game, all of them by senior Audrey Gilbert.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Blues took the rubber match of the season series and both meetings in Anaheim.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Matchup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchup. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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