stack up

verb

stacked up; stacking up; stacks up

intransitive verb

1
: to add up : total
2
: measure up, compare
usually used with against

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
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.
Capital Gains Minimization: Giving appreciated assets (like real estate or securities) to a private foundation stacks up as a neat way to avoid capital gains tax while producing a charitable deduction. Khurram Chohan, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 The skyscraper will also equal around four-and-a-half Empire State Buildings, at 1,250-feet tall, stacked up. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025 In some states, such as Hawaii and California, the fees stack up even higher, reaching around $29,000 every year, per Bankrate's estimate. Talia Wexler, CNBC, 11 June 2025 Over the span of the 10-year program, the snake numbers have really stacked up. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stack up

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stack up was in 1896

Cite this Entry

“Stack up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stack%20up. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

stack up

verb
: measure up sense 2, compare
see how you stack up against the champion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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