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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of matchups
Those two advantages the Spurs had over the Thunder were baked into the cards in the regular season, when San Antonio won four of the five matchups.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 June 2026
In fairness, the matchups Brunson has had were easier, and this should be a harder series for him.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
In head-to-head matchups with Bass and Raman, Pratt was down by double digits, according to the Berkeley-Times poll released last week.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The Spurs became a formidable opponent against the Thunder in a seven-game playoff series and in three out of four regular-season matchups.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
They’ve been outscored 122-74 in those matchups.
—Jaylon Thompson
may 30, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2026
But Mendoza acknowledged Friday that Peterson could now be used in high-leverage situations if the right matchups present themselves.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
So expect Jocytė to be used in a similar fashion if the matchups are right.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Also on the ballot are several member-on-member matchups and a candidate, Maureen Galindo, who has already been condemned by top Democrats for her campaign's controversial comments.
—Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 26 May 2026
John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 June 2026
In fairness, the matchups Brunson has had were easier, and this should be a harder series for him.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
In head-to-head matchups with Bass and Raman, Pratt was down by double digits, according to the Berkeley-Times poll released last week.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The Spurs became a formidable opponent against the Thunder in a seven-game playoff series and in three out of four regular-season matchups.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
They’ve been outscored 122-74 in those matchups.
—Jaylon Thompson
may 30, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2026
But Mendoza acknowledged Friday that Peterson could now be used in high-leverage situations if the right matchups present themselves.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
So expect Jocytė to be used in a similar fashion if the matchups are right.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Also on the ballot are several member-on-member matchups and a candidate, Maureen Galindo, who has already been condemned by top Democrats for her campaign's controversial comments.
—Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchups
Noun
-
In all, Mesa made 13 JUCO tournaments before transitioning to a four-year school.—
James Burky,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Federer extends his quarterfinal streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The Trojans, who’ve lost four of their last five games, must beat Lamar University on Saturday to keep their season alive.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Pending the rest of the weekend’s games, Summit FC stands in eighth place in the NWSL ahead of a 35-day break.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Nobody knows how often adverse events occur, said Kristen Nixon, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who has studied posts about weight loss drugs on Reddit, a popular online forum.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
McCormick has booked several authors already for events at the bookshop, including local author Angela Cervantes, who has written three books for American Girl.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Pressure is a privilege and, in our case, the players took those competitions seriously.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
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The 23-year-old has performed when called upon in the cup competitions and was expected, before Donnarumma’s sudden arrival, to compete to be a starting Premier League goalkeeper.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Zachary Svajda, the only other American man left, is 11-26 in his career ATP singles matches.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
1 June 2026
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One of the most affordable matches currently available is Saudi Arabia versus Cape Verde in Houston, where resale tickets have been available from around £96.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Matchups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchups. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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