up to

preposition

1

—used as a function word to indicate extension as far as a specified place

sank up to his knees in the mud

2

—used as a function word to indicate a limit or boundary

up to 50,000 copies a month

worked up to the last minute

Examples of up to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Save up to 50% on tools from the likes of DeWalt, Milwaukee and Craftsman. —Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 26 May 2025

The sixth multi-goal effort of his playoffs career has McDavid up to 22 points in the postseason, one point ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl and the Stars’ Mikko Rantanen for tops in the scoring race. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 26 May 2025

Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025

The city had built in $500,000 for that contingency, but the actual cost turned out to be up to $800,000. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for up to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

up to

preposition

1

: as far as a named part or place

sank up to my hips

2

: in accordance with

the game was not up to our standards

3

a

: to the limit of

come in sizes up to 10

b

: as many or as much as

carry up to 10 tons

4

: until entry 1, till

from dawn up to dusk