measure up
verb
measured up; measuring up; measures up
1
: to have necessary or fitting qualifications
As a candidate for the job, he didn't measure up.
—often used with toHer work didn't measure up to our expectations.
2
: to be the equal (as in ability)
Her early films were promising, but more recent ones haven't measured up.
—used with toHis recent novels haven't measured up to his earlier works.
Examples of measure up in a Sentence
he always worried about measuring up to his older brother
Recent Examples on the Web
The South is home to dozens of beautiful college campuses, but few measure up to the grandeur and scale of Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Now, much like the rest of the home, bathrooms are shifting toward warmer, more inviting, spa-like environments, and all-white designs don’t measure up.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Among them was the plane’s owner, Greg Biffle, a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee whose life as a humanitarian off the track measured up to his fearlessness on it.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Inside the glamorous walls of Kleinfeld Bridal — one of the world's bougiest bridal salons — a crew of more than 250 experts pull out all the stops to measure up to the bride's fairy-tale fantasies.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measure up
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Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Now, much like the rest of the home, bathrooms are shifting toward warmer, more inviting, spa-like environments, and all-white designs don’t measure up.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Among them was the plane’s owner, Greg Biffle, a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee whose life as a humanitarian off the track measured up to his fearlessness on it.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Inside the glamorous walls of Kleinfeld Bridal — one of the world's bougiest bridal salons — a crew of more than 250 experts pull out all the stops to measure up to the bride's fairy-tale fantasies.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measure up
Cite this Entry
“Measure up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/measure%20up. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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