matchbox

noun

match·​box ˈmach-ˌbäks How to pronounce matchbox (audio)
: a box for matches

Examples of matchbox 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.
At Dulles, the local nod in the Etihad Airways-Chase Sapphire lounge is largely limited to photos of matchboxes from classic haunts like Clyde’s and Le Diplomate. — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026 The baits are around the size of a matchbox and coated with fishmeal to attract raccoons. — Eva Flowe october 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026 Others took to the balcony, with cigarettes and Maison Beaux branded matchboxes in hand. — Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026 Adam’s father had had a pacemaker, like a little matchbox under his collarbone, and heart trouble was often genetic. — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for matchbox

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of matchbox was in 1853

Rhymes for matchbox

See All Rhymes for matchbox

Browse Nearby Words

matchbook
matchbox
matchcoat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Matchbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matchbox. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

matchbox

noun
match·​box -ˌbäks How to pronounce matchbox (audio)
: a box for matches
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All