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
The Road to Dubai is stacked with name talent and dangerous matchups, giving the PFL the kind of lineup that feels like a statement in itself.
—
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
While the Panthers trailed throughout both games to begin the campaign, the rushing offense offered mediocre returns long before those matchups got out of hand and the Panthers were forced to lean heavily on their passing attack.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Trailing by a score to both the Chargers in Week 1 and Eagles in Week 2, critical mistakes by historically reliable players saw the matchups go the other way.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
Try getting in your initial wager on any of the matchups on Wednesday to receive the bonus.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Those are far from the only intriguing matchups going into the week.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Here are a few other new names to know, old names to remember, broadcast predictions and fun matchups to set the Thursday pregame off right.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Astrology addicts, meanwhile, will get their horoscopes with a pop culture twist, with weekly cosmic predictions, celeb-sign matchups and zodiac memes.
—Stacy Lambe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
While the Panthers trailed throughout both games to begin the campaign, the rushing offense offered mediocre returns long before those matchups got out of hand and the Panthers were forced to lean heavily on their passing attack.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Trailing by a score to both the Chargers in Week 1 and Eagles in Week 2, critical mistakes by historically reliable players saw the matchups go the other way.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
Try getting in your initial wager on any of the matchups on Wednesday to receive the bonus.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Those are far from the only intriguing matchups going into the week.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Here are a few other new names to know, old names to remember, broadcast predictions and fun matchups to set the Thursday pregame off right.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Astrology addicts, meanwhile, will get their horoscopes with a pop culture twist, with weekly cosmic predictions, celeb-sign matchups and zodiac memes.
—Stacy Lambe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchups
Noun
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The 2025 Esports World Cup, held in July and August, is the pinnacle of gamer culture, a six-week celebration and competition featuring $70 million worth of prizes for tournaments in more than 20 video games.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Disc golf’s popularity has grown so fast that there are now dozens of top-tier professional tournaments each year.—
Nate Heinold,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The person who fits that moniker best, Yordan Alvarez, has appeared in just 48 games.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
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So far this season in two games, Daniels has thrown for 433 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions and has picked up 85 yards on the ground.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Usher, Meagan Good, and Jay-Z joined events that blended music, style, and philanthropy, reminding us just how many lanes the culture continues to dominate.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
15 Sep. 2025
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Movies are still big events, still consumed in long sittings, still treated as cultural monuments.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In their last five meetings across all competitions, UANL Tigres has three wins, while Guadalajara has yet to claim a win, with two matches ending in draws.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Anousheh Ansari is the CEO of XPRIZE Foundation, a nonprofit that runs competitions with $500 million in prizes designed to spur new ideas on how to tackle environmental challenges.—
Elisabeth Brier,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Prior to that win, however, the team faced a challenging run that included three losses in five matches.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matchups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchups. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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