up to

1 of 2

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

up to

2 of 2

phrase

1

: capable of performing or dealing with

feels up to the task

2

: engaged in

what is he up to

3

: being the responsibility of

it's up to me

Examples of up to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

Awarded under the Autonomous Remote Command Centre (RCC) contract, this initial £10 million investment marks the first stage of a programme which has scope to grow to up to £100 million to deliver next-generation mine countermeasures capability for the Royal Navy. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026

In a letter issued by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, providers will only be allowed to keep a reasonable amount of up to $25 of those fees. —Gabriela Vidal, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026

Austin Deshon Moore, 26, was taken into custody shortly after noon at his residence on the charge of theft of property over $1,000, punishable by up to six years in prison. —Steven Mross, Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026

But while the fanfare lived up to the hype, the Panthers did not live up to expectations on the ice — and, regardless of the spectacle, there were a valuable two points up for grabs. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th 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