measure up

verb

measured up; measuring up; measures up

intransitive verb

1
: to have necessary or fitting qualifications
often used with to
2
: to be the equal (as in ability)
used with to

Examples of measure up in a Sentence

he always worried about measuring up to his older brother
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.
The upstart Commanders couldn't get anything going on Thursday night, but were able to mostly measure up against a far better opponent. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024 This is striking for a few reasons, not least of which is that tuatara are relatively small animals (measuring up to 30 inches from tip to tip). Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 The Defense Ministry of Japan reported the Chinese naval movements near the country's territorial waters, which are measured up to 12 nautical miles from its coasts. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 While Apple does a great job of keeping its app marketplace safe, Google doesn't quite measure up. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for measure up 

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of measure up was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near measure up

Cite this Entry

“Measure up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/measure%20up. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

measure up

verb
1
: to have necessary or fitting qualifications
2
: to be the equal (as in ability)
used with to

More from Merriam-Webster on measure up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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