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

According to the search warrant affidavit, Wolf walked up to Travis Harker, 29, and shot him once in the chest. —Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026

The 2nd District stretches from the central part of the state west to the Mississippi River and is considered a Democratic stronghold, setting Thompson up to win his 18th congressional term. —Jeff Amy and Sophie Bates The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 11 Mar. 2026

Together, the system supported up to 222 spatial modes entering a single multimode fiber. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026

Video released by Iranian media shows what appears to be a Tomahawk cruise missile strike near an Iranian school where up to 175 people were reportedly killed, most of them school-age girls. —Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 11 Mar. 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