# match

/ˈmætʃ/ (US) · /mˈætʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/match
Updated: 2026-04-30

## Senses

### 1. sports game

noun · CEFR A1

a sports competition between two people or teams.

For teachers: a formal competitive sporting event between two individuals or sides.

- We bought tickets for the football match on Saturday afternoon.
- The championship match was delayed by several hours due to a sudden thunderstorm that left the grass courts unplayable.

### 2. fire lighter

noun · CEFR A2

a small wooden stick that makes fire when you rub it against a box.

For teachers: a short, slender piece of wood or cardboard tipped with a chemical substance that ignites via friction.

- He struck a match to light the candles on the birthday cake.
- In the damp conditions of the cave, they struggled to strike a match that would stay lit long enough to kindle the dry leaves.

### 3. a pair

noun · CEFR B1

two things that look good together or are the same.

For teachers: a person or thing that is equal to, or coordinates well with, another.

- These socks aren't a match; one is dark blue and the other is black.
- The interior designer struggled to find a perfect match for the vintage wallpaper, as the original dye had faded over decades.

### 4. to look the same

verb · CEFR A2

to be the same or to look good with something else.

For teachers: to correspond in appearance, quality, or nature; to be identical or harmonious.

- Your tie doesn't really match your shirt.
- The witness's description of the suspect did not match the footage captured by the security cameras at the entrance.

Usage: Can be used transitively with an object or intransitively to describe how two things relate.

### 5. to find a pair

verb · CEFR B1

to find two things that belong together.

For teachers: to find or provide an equal or appropriate counterpart for something.

- The app helps match volunteers with local charities that need help.
- The recruitment agency uses an algorithm to match candidates' specific skill sets with the requirements of high-growth startups.

### 6. to equal

verb · CEFR B2

to be as good as someone or something else.

For teachers: to be equal to another in quality, strength, or achievement.

- No one can match her skill at playing the piano.
- Although the new model is faster, it cannot match the durability and reliability of the previous generation's engine design.

### 7. computing

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to find a string of text that follows a specific pattern.

For teachers: to satisfy the conditions of a pattern-matching algorithm or regular expression.

- The search will match any word that starts with 'auto'.
- The script was designed to match specific error codes within the server logs and trigger an automated alert to the engineering team.

Usage: Usually takes a direct object representing the pattern or string.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.