stack up

verb

stacked up; stacking up; stacks up

intransitive verb

1

: to add up : total

2

: measure up, compare

—usually used with against

Synonyms

• approach
• approximate
• compare (with)
• measure up (to)

Examples of stack up in a Sentence

those newspapers have been stacking up in the basement since we moved here

Recent Examples on the Web

The Star, with the help of local county appraisers and tax collectors, analyzed how median household income stacked up against rising property values and bills in Jackson, Clay, Platte, Wyandotte and Johnson counties in 2023 and tried to put it into the present-day context. —Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2025

Here’s how the top contenders stack up when put to the test. —Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Here’s how Charlotte and Raleigh-area hospitals stacked up in the new rankings, how the grades are calculated, and how the data should be interpreted. —Evan Moore may 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2025

The key to getting the most out of strength training is stacking up hard work over time, Mr. Frost said. —Alyssa Ages, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stack up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

stack up

verb

: measure up sense 2, compare

see how you stack up against the champion