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match up

B1 neutral separable both
In simple words

See if two things are the same or go together well, OR put two things or people together because they fit.

Literal meaning: To bring things 'up' to the same level so they match — suggests aligning things to check equality.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To correspond or agree with something else; to be consistent.

"His account of the evening didn't match up with what the security camera showed."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 neutral

To put two or more people or things together based on shared qualities or compatibility.

"The charity program matches up experienced mentors with young people just starting their careers."

Grammar: separable
3 B1 neutral

To be equal to or as good as someone or something else (often used in comparisons).

"Their new album is good, but it doesn't quite match up to their debut."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Used both intransitively ('the stories don't match up') and transitively ('match up the socks'). In sports contexts, it means to compare two competitors or teams. The intransitive sense often appears in negative constructions to mean 'fail to correspond'.

Commonly used with

stories figures data socks opponents skills

Forms

Base
match up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
matches up
he/she/it
Past simple
matched up
yesterday
Past participle
matched up
have + pp
-ing form
matching up
continuous

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Synonyms

correspond agree tally pair align fit together

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