measure up

verb

measured up; measuring up; measures up

intransitive verb

1

: to have necessary or fitting qualifications

As a candidate for the job, he didn't measure up.

—often used with to

Her 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 to

His recent novels haven't measured up to his earlier works.

Synonyms of measure up

• compare (with)
• approximate
• stack up (against or with)
• reflect
• approach
• hold a candle to
• match

Examples of measure up in a Sentence

he always worried about measuring up to his older brother

Recent Examples on the Web

Test results like these inform release decisions, including how a model measures up against OpenAI’s Preparedness Framework safety criteria. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 July 2026

For some Heat fans, Herro’s biggest crime was not measuring up to Mitchell or Booker. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

Elite kurgans were massive structures, measuring up to 49 feet (15 meters) tall with diameters reaching 345 feet (105 meters). — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Customers will be able to choose from eleven exterior paint finishes and alloy wheels measuring up to 23 inches, with M Sport, M Sport Pro and M Performance models adding progressively more aggressive styling. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for measure up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

measure up

verb

1

: to have necessary or fitting qualifications

2

: to be the equal (as in ability)

—used with to