Meaning & use
match to a tee
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiominformal
To be exactly right or perfectly suitable for someone or something.
Grammar: Used after verbs like 'match', 'fit', 'suit'; often followed by 'for someone'.
Patterns
- match something to a tee
- fit someone to a tee
- suit someone to a tee
The new job matches her skills to a tee.
That dress fits you to a tee.
His description of the event matched the facts to a tee.
Common combinations
- match something to a tee
- The colors in the painting match the room to a tee.
- fit someone to a tee
- These shoes fit me to a tee.
- suit someone to a tee
- The part-time schedule suits him to a tee.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: match to a tee or to a T? match to a tee or to the letter?
match to a tee vs to a T
This is a variant spelling of the same phrase, meaning exactly right.
match to a tee vs to the letter
This means following rules exactly, not being a perfect fit.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'match to a tee' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'match something to a tee', meaning perfectly. Option 1 has wrong word order; options 2 and 3 change the fixed words 'tee' and 'T'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “match to a tee”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.