as in tournaments
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of matchups
Multiple games came down to the wire in Week 6, and NFL fans hope for more exciting matchups in Week 7.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Detroit had been rolling coming in, scoring 34 points or more in each of the previous four matchups and entering Sunday on a four-game win streak.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
If Ridley misses more time, Ayomanor should see a bump in usage and has two good matchups on the horizon.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Postseason seeding will be affected by several key matchups across the East Metro on the final day of the regular season Wednesday.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Oct. 2025
As for pass protection, Campbell continues to impress, particularly in the context of his matchups.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Chase caught all 5 of his targets against Keisean Nixon for 52 yards and a TD on 12 matchups in Week 6, per Next Gen Stats.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
There’s a perfect record at stake — Mizzou is 5-0 — and the Tigers have lost their last six matchups with Alabama.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
The Giants have lost seven of their past eight matchups with the Eagles and 19 of the past 23 in the series dating to the 2013 season.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Detroit had been rolling coming in, scoring 34 points or more in each of the previous four matchups and entering Sunday on a four-game win streak.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
If Ridley misses more time, Ayomanor should see a bump in usage and has two good matchups on the horizon.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Postseason seeding will be affected by several key matchups across the East Metro on the final day of the regular season Wednesday.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Oct. 2025
As for pass protection, Campbell continues to impress, particularly in the context of his matchups.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Chase caught all 5 of his targets against Keisean Nixon for 52 yards and a TD on 12 matchups in Week 6, per Next Gen Stats.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
There’s a perfect record at stake — Mizzou is 5-0 — and the Tigers have lost their last six matchups with Alabama.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
The Giants have lost seven of their past eight matchups with the Eagles and 19 of the past 23 in the series dating to the 2013 season.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchups
Noun
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The Centennial State has hosted a string of notable golf tournaments in recent years.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
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The tournaments pit heroes such as Cole Young, Sonya Blade, Kano, Jax, Liu Kang and Kung Lao to fight against villains like Mileena, Nitara, Reiko, Kabal, Reptile, Goro and the sorcerer Shang Tsung.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There's also a fall and Christmas photo area, games and more.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Oct. 2025
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Those teams, who have met in the past two conference championship games, play next Saturday at Albertsons Stadium.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The shortages have impacted 911 call response times and have left officers feeling burdened and overworked, often having to sacrifice personal time to cover events and political rallies, Redford has said in previous interviews with The Charlotte Observer.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
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Gatlin also used Foundation funds to pay for Apple AirPods, laptops and backpacks for back-to-school events hosted by a Riceboro religious group, which had no links to the Foundation, except Gatlin.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Once on campus, he’s drawn into the intense world of Black Greek life, where rival fraternities battle through stepping competitions that blend rhythm, tradition, and pride.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
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Of their 16 meetings in all competitions between August 2004 and August 2007, 10 featured one goal or fewer.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Before the 2024-25 campaign, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made an interesting observation about the scheduling of his side’s matches.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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During this time, neo-Nazi gangs grew visible at concerts, football matches and in public squares.—
Steve Salter,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matchups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchups. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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