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

Though the production considered existing vessels, none of them measured up. —Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

But like many things with the Dolphins this century, reality didn’t measure up to the vision. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026

For Tuesday’s vote, some other Republicans expressed their discomfort with tariffs, but did not commit to opposing the measure up for a vote. —Justin Papp, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026

It will also be known, until further notice, as a day when Maye failed to measure up. —Michael Silver, New York Times, 9 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