mis·match
ˈmis-ˌmach 
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
William C. RhodenShe 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
Dan Vergano
mis·match
ˌmis-ˈmach
mismatched; mismatching
: 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
Liz ReyerExamples of mismatch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebSean Keeler, The Denver Post, 14 May 2024
Still, there’s a significant mismatch between water and salt cycles (according to Stedmon, the latter is thousands of times slower).
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mismatch 
Noun
Especially at this time of year, when mismatches on the power play — at 6-foot-4, Nichushkin blots out the sun as well as opposing goalies’ vision — can often mean the difference between parades and penitence.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 14 May 2024
Still, there’s a significant mismatch between water and salt cycles (according to Stedmon, the latter is thousands of times slower).
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mismatch
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mismatch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mismatch
Cite this Entry
“Mismatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mismatch. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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