square up
phrasal verb
squared up; squaring up; squares up
: to turn so that one is facing something or someone directly
She squared up (with/to the basket) for a three-point shot.
They squared up for a fight.
Examples of square up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their team had not won at this stadium since 2005, in the infamous game when Lee Bowyer and Kieran Dyer squared up and Steven Taylor handballed a shot off the line, only to collapse to the floor as if he was badly wounded.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Genesis, meanwhile, comes after the Supernova Strikers amateur boxing event, which saw celebs and streamers squaring up.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Landon Feltham tried to square up on a bouncing ball, but could not get off a solid shot.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Fans, however, will have to get used to seeing their favorite teammates square up against each other on the court.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for square up
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Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Genesis, meanwhile, comes after the Supernova Strikers amateur boxing event, which saw celebs and streamers squaring up.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Landon Feltham tried to square up on a bouncing ball, but could not get off a solid shot.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Fans, however, will have to get used to seeing their favorite teammates square up against each other on the court.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for square up
Cite this Entry
“Square up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/square%20up. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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