Matchup

How to spell matchup

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce matchup

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does matchup mean?

1. nounA contest or comparison between two opposing players, teams, or things.

Matchup in a sentence

• The semi-final matchup between the two top teams sold out within an hour.

• Analysts studied every matchup before placing their bets on the tournament.

Where does matchup come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a modern compound built from two old English pieces. The noun 'match' comes from the Old English 'gemaecca', meaning a mate, companion, or equal, and over the centuries it broadened to mean a contest between two evenly paired sides. The little word 'up' is one of the oldest words in the language, an Old English directional particle. English speakers, especially in twentieth-century North American sports writing, fused the verbal phrase 'to match up' (to bring two things together for comparison or contest) into a single noun. The closed one-word spelling 'matchup' became common in the mid 1900s, which is exactly the spelling trap here: many writers still hesitate between the joined form and the two-word phrase 'match up'.

How the word is built

• match (a contest or pairing)
• up (adverbial particle forming a noun)