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

McDonald’s didn’t provide nutritional information about its latest creation and hasn’t responded to an inquiry about how the Big Arch Burger measures up to the Big Mac, which consists of two beef patties and clocks in at 580 calories. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026

But how does Toasted Coconut measure up? —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026

Feeling like your self-expression doesn’t measure up? —Usa Today, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026

Though the production considered existing vessels, none of them measured up. —Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 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