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

Read their conversation about his research, the importance of regulation, and how coaches might measure up against traditional psychotherapists. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026

Arulampalam said Magnano’s response did not measure up to the standards of the Hartford Police Department or the three other officers at the scene who were trying to de-escalate the situation. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026

And what’s clear is that today’s best AI models still don’t measure up to breadth and depth of human cognitive abilities. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026

But not all platforms measure up. —Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 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