mismatch

1 of 2

noun

mis·​match ˈmis-ˌmach How to pronounce mismatch (audio)
plural mismatches
: a faulty or unsuitable match
New England plays St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI this evening, and on the face of it, this game is a mismatch, a blowout waiting to happen.—William C. Rhoden
She is blood type O, and the donor heart and lungs she received in the first operation were blood type A. That mismatch triggered rejection by her immune system.—Dan Vergano

mismatch

2 of 2

verb

mis·​match ˌmis-ˈmach How to pronounce mismatch (audio)
mismatched; mismatching

transitive verb

: to match (two people or things) wrongly or unsuitably
Let's say that you are afraid of boring your audience. One cause is mismatching the audience's need and the level of detail you provide.—Liz Reyer

Examples of mismatch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This creates a mismatch between legacy workplace models and the needs of workers now pivoting toward higher-value work that depends on concentration, critical colleague interactions and more intentional spatial support. — Sarah Davis, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 That mismatch is difficult to explain if baryon number simply travels with the three fast-moving quarks. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
Too many items or mismatched pieces on open shelves and racks can make a room look disorganized and messy. — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2026 Round wooden tables fill the rest of the space, mismatched chairs and old paper menus stacked in the middle of each. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mismatch

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mismatch was in 1582

Rhymes for mismatch

See All Rhymes for mismatch

Browse Nearby Words

mismarriage
mismatch
mismatched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mismatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mismatch. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mismatch

verb
mis·​match
(ˈ)mis-ˈmach
: to match unsuitably or badly
mismatch noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mismatch

Nglish: Translation of mismatch for Spanish Speakers

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