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

Synonyms

• approach
• approximate
• compare (with)
• stack up (against or with)

Examples of measure up in a Sentence

he always worried about measuring up to his older brother

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, evaluators look at price per tokens, and see how the systems measure up. —John Werner, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

And now the rival Green Bay Packers will be coming to town next weekend for a spotlight game, another measuring-stick moment for an organization that so frequently fails to measure up. —Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2024

How that measures up in the Electoral College victory will depend significantly on the individual votes collected in the swing states. —Suzanne Blake, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Prime Day mattress deals don’t tend to measure up to the best of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. —Renee Cherry, SELF, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

measure up

verb

1

: to have necessary or fitting qualifications

2

: to be the equal (as in ability)

—used with to