grudge match
noun
: a contest or fight between players, teams, etc., who dislike each other
The race had turned into a grudge match between the two teams.
Examples of grudge match in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Prince Harry Hails 'Monumental' Victory In Lawsuit Against The Sun
By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
259
Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's U.K. newspaper division in a shock U-turn that brings an end to a six-year marathon courtroom grudge match.
—
Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
But instead of an ideological grudge match or blame game, the race to replace Jaime Harrison as Democratic National Committee chair is dominated by two Midwestern nice guys looking to leverage their relationships and home state records.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
That matchup has turned into a bit of a grudge match over the past few months.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
In a grudge match after their 27-point rout Monday at Ball Arena, the Nuggets (16-12) turned it over 16 times in the final game of the NBA’s 10-hour holiday slate.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2024
Basketball has enjoyed a symbiotic and occasionally campy relationship with this calendar date, from the Jordan-Ewing smash of 1986 to the iconic Shaq-Kobe grudge match in 2004 to those weirdly-endearing fluorescent uniforms from a few years prior.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Lamar Jackson's options downfield could be limited in Saturday's AFC North grudge match against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Monday’s Jets v Wild game should be a great grudge match
J
Jacob C.
· Fri
Wild fan checking in.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
Bengals at Ravens: How to watch, odds, expert picks for Jackson vs. Burrow grudge match
Big 12 Chaos Meter: Is Colorado ready for Lubbock?
—New York Times, 7 Nov. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
But instead of an ideological grudge match or blame game, the race to replace Jaime Harrison as Democratic National Committee chair is dominated by two Midwestern nice guys looking to leverage their relationships and home state records.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
That matchup has turned into a bit of a grudge match over the past few months.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
In a grudge match after their 27-point rout Monday at Ball Arena, the Nuggets (16-12) turned it over 16 times in the final game of the NBA’s 10-hour holiday slate.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2024
Basketball has enjoyed a symbiotic and occasionally campy relationship with this calendar date, from the Jordan-Ewing smash of 1986 to the iconic Shaq-Kobe grudge match in 2004 to those weirdly-endearing fluorescent uniforms from a few years prior.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Lamar Jackson's options downfield could be limited in Saturday's AFC North grudge match against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Monday’s Jets v Wild game should be a great grudge match
J
Jacob C.
· Fri
Wild fan checking in.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
Bengals at Ravens: How to watch, odds, expert picks for Jackson vs. Burrow grudge match
Big 12 Chaos Meter: Is Colorado ready for Lubbock?
—New York Times, 7 Nov. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near grudge match
Cite this Entry
“Grudge match.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grudge%20match. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share