match against

match (someone or something) against (someone or something else)

1. To match two people or two things together to face off in a challenge or competition. For the first round of the tournament, they matched Karen against the three-time state champion. For this comparison review, we've matched the new Samsung Galaxy S20 against the iPhone X5.

2. To compare someone or something to someone or something else to see if the two correspond correctly. They'll match your name against the guest list to see if you're allowed inside the party. Go down to the warehouse and match what's on the inventory list against what you find down there.

See also: match, something

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

match (someone) against (someone else) (or something against something else)

to challenge someone with someone else in a contest; to challenge something with something else in a contest. I will match my boxer against your boxer any day. I'll match myself against you any day!

See also: match

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

match against

v.

1. To compare something with something else to see whether their parts correspond: We matched our list of attendees against the invited guests. Match the list of workers against the checks to see what's missing.

2. To set someone or something in competition with someone or something else: The sports league tries to match each team against other teams of the same ability. We were matched against a much smarter team for the debate.

See also: match

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.