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."
inseparable
match up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To correspond, agree, or be equal to something else; or to pair people or things together based on compatible qualities.
In plain English
See if two things are the same or go together well, OR put two things or people together because they fit.
What does "match up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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."
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."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bring things 'up' to the same level so they match — suggests aligning things to check equality.
Actually means
See if two things are the same or go together well, OR put two things or people together because they fit.
Usage tip
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'.
Words that pair with "match up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
stories figures data socks opponents skills
How to conjugate "match up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "match up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "match up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "match up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.