match-up
match-up — noun
1. an arrangement where two people, teams, or things are put together so that they
an arrangement where two people, teams, or things are put together so that they can be compared, or so that they can play or fight against each other.
The semifinal match-up between Darius and Caio drew the largest crowd of the tournament.
noun in subject position with 'between A and B' pattern
Coach Femi studied last year's match-ups before choosing his starting line-up for Saturday.
plural countable noun: 'studied the match-ups'
Fans were excited about the heavyweight match-up scheduled for next month in Tokyo.
The debate organisers planned a careful match-up of speakers with opposing views.
文法句型
match-up between [X] and [Y]
用法筆記
Most common in sports and competition contexts; the 'between A and B' frame is the typical structure. Distinguish from 'match' (the game itself) — a match-up is the pairing, not the contest's progress.
常見錯誤
match-up — phrasal verb
1. if two sets of facts, numbers, or statements match up, each tells the same story
if two sets of facts, numbers, or statements match up, each tells the same story as the other — for example, the totals on a receipt agreeing with the figures on your bank statement.
Yuna noticed that the dates on the two receipts did not match up.
negative form: 'do not match up'
The witness statements must match up before the police can close the case.
subject is information / statements
Caleb's expenses did not match up with the receipts he handed to the accountant.
The numbers in the report finally matched up after Allison rechecked every entry.
- tally
common with numbers and accounts
- agree
more general; works for both facts and people
- correspond
more formal
- contradict
stronger; the items actively disagree
文法句型
[facts/figures] match up
match up with [something]
用法筆記
Subject is almost always information: dates, numbers, statements, accounts. Distinguish from sense 2 (physical fit) — sense 1 is about agreement of data, not physical compatibility.
常見錯誤
2. when two physical things match up, their shapes, edges, or positions fit so that
when two physical things match up, their shapes, edges, or positions fit so that they can be joined together or work as a pair.
Élise turned the puzzle piece several times until its edges matched up with the others.
physical edges / shapes as subject
The two halves of the broken vase did not quite match up after the repair.
negative form for misaligned physical parts
Sana lined up the cabinet doors so that the wood grain matched up neatly.
The new cable connector matched up with the old port on the back of the printer.
文法句型
[parts] match up
match up with [something]
用法筆記
Subject is a physical object or surface — edges, pieces, parts, patterns. Distinguish from sense 1 (information agreement): in sense 2 the subject is physical, in sense 1 it is data.
3. to reach the same standard, quality, or level of enjoyment as something or someo
to reach the same standard, quality, or level of enjoyment as something or someone else — for instance, a sequel film feeling as exciting as the original, or a new restaurant living up to an older favourite.
The sequel did not match up to the first film for most of the audience.
negative: 'did not match up to'
Few new bakeries in the area match up to the one Dario's grandmother used to run.
comparison with a respected standard
Eliska worried that her exam results would not match up to her sister's.
The cheap headphones simply do not match up to the studio pair Christopher uses at work.
- live up to
compares against an expectation or promise
- measure up to
very close in meaning; slightly more formal
- rival
stronger; equal or better
- fall short
the explicit opposite — fails to reach the standard
文法句型
match up to [something/somebody]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'to'. Most often used in negative or doubting sentences ('didn't match up to', 'can't match up to') because the speaker is signalling that the new thing falls short.
常見錯誤
4. to look for or pick out something — usually a fabric, paint, or material — that
to look for or pick out something — usually a fabric, paint, or material — that will go well next to another thing because the colour or pattern is similar.
Amelia spent the afternoon trying to match up curtain fabric with her new sofa.
object = fabric; preposition = with
The designer matched up the wallpaper to the original Edwardian colours of the room.
match X up to Y for historical / period work
Chiara visited three paint shops before she could match up the touch-up paint with the car's body colour.
Jack carefully matched up the new floor tiles with the kitchen worktop before ordering them.
- coordinate
more formal; common for clothes and decor
- pair
more general
文法句型
match up [something]
match [something] up with [something]
用法筆記
Transitive and separable: 'match up the fabric' or 'match the fabric up'. Typical objects are colours, patterns, paint, fabric, tiles — anything chosen for visual harmony. Distinguish from sense 5 by the goal: sense 4 picks something new to go with an existing item, sense 5 spots an existing connection between two known items.
5. to notice that two people or things belong together or are connected — for examp
to notice that two people or things belong together or are connected — for example, putting a face to a name, or working out which signature on a card belongs to which guest.
Anthony struggled to match up the new staff faces with their names on the office chart.
match X up with Y — face/name pairing
The detective matched up the fingerprints on the glass with those of an old suspect.
matching evidence in investigations
Sivan tried to match up each handwritten note with the wedding guest who had written it.
The teacher asked the children to match up the country names with the correct flags.
文法句型
match up [A] with [B]
match up [list]
用法筆記
Subject is a person doing the noticing; object is usually a list, set of people, or pieces of evidence. Distinguish from sense 4 (choosing one new item to suit another) — sense 5 connects two items that already exist and asks 'which goes with which?'.