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

They’re made from sheepskin and faux fur, measure up to 8 inches tall, and feature a grey suede upper. —Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Yet not one of the sequels to World War II has measured up to the original tale. —Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025

Well, how does the 78 expedition measure up against those? —Outside Online, 29 Oct. 2025

Instead, lithium niobate — which is more stable and easier to fabricate, even if its properties don’t quite measure up with those of barium titanate — filled that role instead. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025

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