mismatch

1 of 2

noun

mis·​match ˈmis-ˌmach 

plural mismatches

: a faulty or unsuitable match

New England plays St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI this evening, and on the face of it, this game is a mismatch, a blowout waiting to happen.

—William C. Rhoden

She is blood type O, and the donor heart and lungs she received in the first operation were blood type A. That mismatch triggered rejection by her immune system.

—Dan Vergano

mismatch

2 of 2

verb

mis·​match ˌmis-ˈmach 

mismatched; mismatching

transitive verb

: to match (two people or things) wrongly or unsuitably

Let's say that you are afraid of boring your audience. One cause is mismatching the audience's need and the level of detail you provide.

—Liz Reyer

Examples of mismatch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Opposing offenses carve them up, forcing breakdowns and exploiting mismatches. —Brian Sampson, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

Hollier was a mismatch for Green Mountain in the post, consistently scoring with ease, but had to head to the bench midway through the third after picking up a fourth foul. —Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2025

Verb

There aren’t many frills to setting—folding metal chairs and mismatched tables inside, picnic tables with blue umbrellas on the deck out back—but the lineup of spirits and barbecue is over the top. —Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2025

Here lies the tale of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet), mismatched young people on a date with destiny, dreamed up by James Cameron, a filmmaker more associated with smart action films than epic tragic romances. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mismatch

• attach
• bycatch
• despatch
• detach
• dispatch
• nuthatch
• potlatch
• toothache
• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch

Kids Definition

mismatch

verb

mis·​match

(ˈ)mis-ˈmach

: to match unsuitably or badly

mismatch noun