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
The wood chisel is used to square up the two inside corners of the mortise.
—
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
Green also held Alperen Şengün (5-for-12) and Pascal Siakam (1-for-5) when squared up against those opposing All-Stars.
—Nick Friedell, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Who can square up to Hopkins in that clever craft?
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Educators must finally square up to that reality and radically reshape the school experience for the neediest kids.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for square up
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Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
Green also held Alperen Şengün (5-for-12) and Pascal Siakam (1-for-5) when squared up against those opposing All-Stars.
—Nick Friedell, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Who can square up to Hopkins in that clever craft?
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Educators must finally square up to that reality and radically reshape the school experience for the neediest kids.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Oct. 2025
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 9 Jan. 2026.
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