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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of matchups
Possible World Cup quarterfinal matchups in KC There are four potential matchups for the World Cup quarterfinal match that will be played in Kansas City on July 11.
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Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 July 2026
Ghana had the tougher matchups and still advanced, winning against Panama and then playing to a draw against England, and finally losing to Croatia.
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David Troy Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
But largely, the first four days have seen matchups hold, and one of the finer balances in tennis is back in play.
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Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Monday Night Raw after Night of Champions confirmed major SummerSlam matchups.
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Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
That was when the matchups had been known months in advance and tickets were relatively affordable, even if prices set records compared to prior World Cups.
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Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
29 June 2026
Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper, one of the most explosive scorers in the league, has averaged 10 points on 26% shooting from the field in two matchups.
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Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 June 2026
The entire cast is part of an underground ballroom competition, going claw to claw in matchups that rank the best poses, death drops, outfits, name brands, and choreography.
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Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2026
Washington hosts Minnesota on Wednesday in the second of two straight matchups.
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CBS News,
22 June 2026
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 July 2026
Ghana had the tougher matchups and still advanced, winning against Panama and then playing to a draw against England, and finally losing to Croatia.
—
David Troy Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
But largely, the first four days have seen matchups hold, and one of the finer balances in tennis is back in play.
—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Monday Night Raw after Night of Champions confirmed major SummerSlam matchups.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
That was when the matchups had been known months in advance and tickets were relatively affordable, even if prices set records compared to prior World Cups.
—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
29 June 2026
Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper, one of the most explosive scorers in the league, has averaged 10 points on 26% shooting from the field in two matchups.
—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 June 2026
The entire cast is part of an underground ballroom competition, going claw to claw in matchups that rank the best poses, death drops, outfits, name brands, and choreography.
—
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2026
Washington hosts Minnesota on Wednesday in the second of two straight matchups.
—
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchups
Noun
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Croatia has reached the semifinals of the last two tournaments, but its golden generation is aging.
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Volleyball courts can be found at several local beaches, some of which also host beach volleyball tournaments throughout the year.
Noun
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The Bern, Switzerland, native started just three games in his 2024-25 campaign.
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Wilson Contreras hit a three-run homer, Caleb Durbin added a home run of his own, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Monday to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
Noun
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The House of the Dragon Scorecard is an accounting of the events of this week’s episode, in which points are awarded to characters on a scale of 0 to 10.
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From royal events to sporting matches to gliding down ski slopes as kids on vacation, rarely did the public see one without the other.
Noun
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Riders are screened before competitions and anyone considered too inexperienced is denied entry.
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Olise’s five assists in France’s opening four games have been a ruthless continuation of his club form, having racked up 26 in all competitions for Bayern Munich last season.
Noun
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Having again successfully navigated three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw here, Liu has now won five consecutive matches at Wimbledon.
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Recently, these matches have been reduced to one a year — or none at all — against teams that are less appealing to the public, or have become vehicles for political protest, such as November’s match against Palestine.
Cite this Entry
“Matchups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchups. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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