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

• 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

But after hours of public testimony, the City Council determined that — unlike cars at the would-be drive-thru — the proposal didn’t stack up. —Rose Evans september 10, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025

Here is how Palo Alto Networks stacks up against its peers in size, valuation, growth, and margin. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Housing and job insecurity put someone at risk of homelessness, increasing their chances of ending up back in jail or stacking up additional charges. —Margaret Shreiner, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025

The school year is back in session, and now students can check out how their university stacks up to other schools across the country. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Sep. 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