Fuzzy matching is a technique used in data processing to identify similar but not identical strings of text. It helps in finding matches that may have slight variations, such as typos, different spellings, or formatting differences. This is particularly useful in databases where names, addresses, or other information may not be entered consistently. This method employs algorithms that assess the similarity between strings based on various criteria, such as character substitutions or omissions. Fuzzy matching is commonly used in applications like search engines, data cleaning, and deduplication, ensuring more accurate results when dealing with imperfect data.