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

An offensive line that often didn’t measure up against a mediocre defense (Maxx Crosby and a couple of others aside). — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

Apple also says heart rate variability is measured up to 24 times more often than before. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Rain There’s also a chance of light rain, measuring up to a quarter of an inch, arriving by Sunday across the region, and a 5% to 10% chance of thunderstorms, according to the weather service. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Dolphins, dugongs, several species of sharks, and manta rays measuring up to 10 feet across also inhabit the park’s waters. — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 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