match-up

or match·up

[ mach-uhp ]

noun

1. a pairing or combining; linkage:

   a match-up of federal funds with state aid.

2. a direct contest or confrontation, as between two athletes or political candidates.
3. an investigation of similarities and differences; comparison:

   a match-up of property taxes in two counties.

Word History and Origins

Origin of match-up¹

First recorded in 1960–65; noun use of verb phrase match up

Example Sentences

With Paul reported to be earning about £31m and Tyson's purse half that, there are question marks around the motivations behind this match-up.

From BBC

Two unbeaten champions with differing but equally effective styles produced a match-up of the highest level in a fight to make the boxing purist salivate.

From BBC

In fact, since the first match-up of presidential understudies nearly 50 years ago, precisely zero have made a shred of difference in the race for the White House.

From Los Angeles Times

The evening also differed from the Trump-Biden match-up, in that the moderators fact-checked a number of false statements, nearly all of them from Trump, which frustrated his supporters in post-debate analyses.

From Los Angeles Times

In a repeat match-up of Saturday's men's final that was won by the star-studded US at France's expense, Team USA trailed 53-51 with five minutes to play.

From BBC

Related Words

• analyze
• assess
• check
• confirm
• demonstrate
• investigate
• prove
• question
• try
• verify