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Definition of match verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

match

verb
 
/mætʃ/
 
/mætʃ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they match
 
/mætʃ/
 
/mætʃ/
he / she / it matches
 
/ˈmætʃɪz/
 
/ˈmætʃɪz/
past simple matched
 
/mætʃt/
 
/mætʃt/
past participle matched
 
/mætʃt/
 
/mætʃt/
-ing form matching
 
/ˈmætʃɪŋ/
 
/ˈmætʃɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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    find something similar/connected

  1. [transitive] to find somebody/something that goes together with or is connected with another person or thing
    • match A and B Match the words and pictures.
    • match A to/with B The aim of the competition is to match the quote to the person who said it.
    • The agency tries to match single people with suitable partners.
    • match somebody/something for something The control group in the experiment was matched for age and sex.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • carefully
    • correctly
    • up
    verb + match
    • seek to
    • try to
    preposition
    • for
    • to
    • with
    See full entry
  2. be the same

  3. [transitive, intransitive] match (something) if two things match or if one thing matches another, they are the same or very similar
    • Her fingerprints match those found at the scene of the crime.
    • A man matching his description was seen running from a car.
    • As a couple they are not very well matched (= they are not very suitable for each other).
    • The two sets of figures don't match.
    Extra Examples
    • The dark clouds matched her mood.
    • Make sure the number of items in your cart matches the number of items on the receipt.
    • Police asked anyone who saw a woman matching her description to come forward.
    • The chance of matching all five numbers and winning the jackpot is about 1 in 175 million.
    • Children can be made to suffer when they fail to match their parents' expectations.
    • Her lovers rarely match her wit and intelligence.
    • No other rock band comes even close to matching them for dynamism or style.
    • Nothing quite matches the fine, subtle flavour of this cheese.
    • She found that his determination almost matched her own.
    • The landscape in Claude's painting matches the description in Virgil's Aeneid.
    Topics Opinion and argumenta2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • well
    • nicely
    • perfectly
    phrases
    • to match
    See full entry
  4. combine well

  5. [transitive, intransitive] if two things match, or if one thing matches another, they have the same colour, pattern, or style and therefore look attractive together
    • match (something) Her dark hair matched the colour of her eyes.
    • None of these glasses match (= they are all different).
    • to match (something) The doors were painted blue to match the walls.
    • I've got her a scarf with gloves to match.
    see also matching
    Extra Examples
    • I bought a duvet cover and some curtains to match.
    • The room was full of old furniture that didn't quite match.
    • They found a paint that exactly matched the existing paint on the walls.
    • He chose wine that closely matched each dish.
    Topics Clothes and Fashionb2, Colours and Shapesb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • well
    • nicely
    • perfectly
    phrases
    • to match
    See full entry
  6. be equal/better

  7. [transitive] match somebody/something to be as good, interesting, successful, etc. as somebody/something else synonym equal
    • The profits made in the first year have never been matched.
    • Job opportunities in the industry do not match the level of interest.
    • The teams were evenly matched.
    Extra Examples
    • Her anger was only matched by her frustration.
    • The teams were very evenly matched.
    • He has now proved he can match anyone at the highest level of the sport.
    • His anger was matched only by her frustration.
    • The two firms are quite closely matched in terms of size and profitability
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • nearly
    • not quite
    verb + match
    • be able to
    • be unable to
    • try to
    preposition
    • for
    phrases
    • come close to matching
    • be equally matched
    • be evenly matched
    See full entry
  8. [transitive] match something to make something the same as or better than something else
    • The company was unable to match his current salary.
    • They have reduced all their stock by 10% to match competitors’ prices.
    Extra Examples
    • The firm was unable to match the salaries offered by their rivals.
    • The company can't match the performance of its American rivals.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • almost
    • nearly
    • not quite
    verb + match
    • be able to
    • be unable to
    • try to
    preposition
    • for
    phrases
    • come close to matching
    • be equally matched
    • be evenly matched
    See full entry
  9. provide something suitable

  10. [transitive] match something to provide something that is suitable for or enough for a particular situation
    • Investment in hospitals is needed now to match the future needs of the country.
    Extra Examples
    • The available organs are carefully matched to people in need of transplants.
    • The music perfectly matches the tone of the movie.
  11. Word Originverb Old English gemæcca ‘mate, companion’, of West Germanic origin; related to the base of make.
Idioms
answer/fit/match a description (of somebody/something)
  1. to be like a particular person or thing
    • Police have arrested two men matching the descriptions of the robbers.
mix and match
  1. to combine things in different ways for different purposes
    • You can mix and match courses to suit your requirements.
See match in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee match in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
unclear
adjective
 
 
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